How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Eau Claire, WI?

The median hourly wage is $36.53. The middle half earn between $29.77 and $45.13 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Eau Claire, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $26.72 an hour ($55,570 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.77.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Eau Claire or Minneapolis?

Minneapolis pays more: the median is $75,970 in Eau Claire and $83,340 in Minneapolis, a 9% difference.

How does Eau Claire pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Eau Claire median of $75,970 is 1% more than the Wisconsin median of $75,280.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Eau Claire, WI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Eau Claire, WI area earn a median of $75,970 a year, or $36.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $97,080. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $75,280; Eau Claire is 1% above it.

Median yearly pay$75,970

Bottom 10% under$55,570Top 10% over$97,080

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $26.72/hr
Jobs in this area: 260
After cost of living: $81,870
Median hourly pay: $36.53/hr
vs U.S. median: +27%
vs Wisconsin median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 20740, Eau Claire, WI). 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	$55,570–$61,920$26.72–$29.77/hr
Experienced operator	$75,970$36.53/hr
Top earners	$93,870–$97,080$45.13–$46.68/hr

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

How Eau Claire, WI compares

Eau Claire ranks 9th of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Eau Claire area as nationally: 3.0 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $97,080, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $55,570: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Eau Claire, WI

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Auto mechanic Roofer

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Eau Claire, WI?: Heavy equipment operators in the Eau Claire, WI area earn a median of $75,970 a year, or $36.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $97,080.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Eau Claire, WI?: The median hourly wage is $36.53. The middle half earn between $29.77 and $45.13 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Eau Claire, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $26.72 an hour ($55,570 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.77.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Eau Claire or Minneapolis?: Minneapolis pays more: the median is $75,970 in Eau Claire and $83,340 in Minneapolis, a 9% difference.
How does Eau Claire pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Eau Claire median of $75,970 is 1% more than the Wisconsin median of $75,280.

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 20740 (Eau Claire, WI). 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 (92.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures