How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Longview, WA?

The median hourly wage is $30.84. The middle half earn between $28.92 and $38.83 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Longview, WA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $25.23 an hour ($52,480 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.92.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Longview or Seattle?

Seattle pays more: the median is $64,150 in Longview and $95,750 in Seattle, a 33% difference.

How does Longview pay compare with the rest of Washington?

The Longview median of $64,150 is 21% less than the Washington median of $81,700.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Longview, WA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Longview–Kelso, WA area earn a median of $64,150 a year, or $30.84 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $107,680. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $81,700; Longview is 21% below it.

Median yearly pay$64,150

Bottom 10% under$52,480Top 10% over$107,680

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $25.23/hr
Jobs in this area: 190
After cost of living: $65,760
Median hourly pay: $30.84/hr
vs U.S. median: +7%
vs Washington median: −21%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 31020, Longview-Kelso, WA). 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	$52,480–$60,150$25.23–$28.92/hr
Experienced operator	$64,150$30.84/hr
Top earners	$80,770–$107,680$38.83–$51.77/hr

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

How Longview, WA compares

Longview ranks 12th of 13 Washington metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the Longview area than nationally: 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.5 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $107,680, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $52,480: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Washington metro areas

Other trades in Longview, WA

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Longview, WA?: Heavy equipment operators in the Longview–Kelso, WA area earn a median of $64,150 a year, or $30.84 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $107,680.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Longview, WA?: The median hourly wage is $30.84. The middle half earn between $28.92 and $38.83 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Longview, WA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $25.23 an hour ($52,480 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.92.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Longview or Seattle?: Seattle pays more: the median is $64,150 in Longview and $95,750 in Seattle, a 33% difference.
How does Longview pay compare with the rest of Washington?: The Longview median of $64,150 is 21% less than the Washington median of $81,700.

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 31020 (Longview-Kelso, WA). 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 (97.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures