How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Richmond, VA?

The median hourly wage is $26.58. The middle half earn between $23.08 and $29.75 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Richmond, VA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.54 an hour ($40,650 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.08.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Richmond or Washington?

Washington pays more: the median is $55,280 in Richmond and $61,660 in Washington, a 10% difference.

How does Richmond pay compare with the rest of Virginia?

The Richmond median of $55,280 is 3% less than the Virginia median of $57,160.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Richmond, VA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Richmond, VA area earn a median of $55,280 a year, or $26.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,400. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $57,160; Richmond is 3% below it.

Median yearly pay$55,280

Bottom 10% under$40,650Top 10% over$74,400

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $19.54/hr
Jobs in this area: 2,220
After cost of living: $56,490
Median hourly pay: $26.58/hr
vs U.S. median: −8%
vs Virginia median: −3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40060, Richmond, VA). Excludes self-employed heavy equipment operators. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Apprentice / entry level	$40,650–$48,010$19.54–$23.08/hr
Experienced operator	$55,280$26.58/hr
Top earners	$61,890–$74,400$29.75–$35.77/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Richmond, VA compares

Richmond ranks 4th of 11 Virginia metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Richmond area as nationally: 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $74,400, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,650: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Virginia metro areas

Other trades in Richmond, VA

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Elevator mechanic Auto mechanic Roofer Millwright

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Richmond, VA?: Heavy equipment operators in the Richmond, VA area earn a median of $55,280 a year, or $26.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,400.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Richmond, VA?: The median hourly wage is $26.58. The middle half earn between $23.08 and $29.75 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Richmond, VA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.54 an hour ($40,650 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.08.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Richmond or Washington?: Washington pays more: the median is $55,280 in Richmond and $61,660 in Washington, a 10% difference.
How does Richmond pay compare with the rest of Virginia?: The Richmond median of $55,280 is 3% less than the Virginia median of $57,160.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-2073 (Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators), area code 40060 (Richmond, VA). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed heavy equipment operators and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (97.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures