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

The median hourly wage is $39.93. The middle half earn between $31.65 and $47.46 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Madison, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $28.29 an hour ($58,830 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $31.65.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Madison or Minneapolis?

Pay is about the same: the median is $83,060 in Madison and $83,340 in Minneapolis.

How does Madison pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Madison median of $83,060 is 10% more than the Wisconsin median of $75,280.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Madison, WI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Madison, WI area earn a median of $83,060 a year, or $39.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $102,450. Across all of Wisconsin, the median is $75,280, so Madison pays 10% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$83,060

Bottom 10% under$58,830Top 10% over$102,450

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $28.29/hr
Jobs in this area: 680
After cost of living: $85,380
Median hourly pay: $39.93/hr
vs U.S. median: +39%
vs Wisconsin median: +10%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 31540, Madison, 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	$58,830–$65,830$28.29–$31.65/hr
Experienced operator	$83,060$39.93/hr
Top earners	$98,720–$102,450$47.46–$49.26/hr

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

How Madison, WI compares

Madison ranks 4th of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators are less concentrated in the Madison area than nationally: 1.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.54 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $102,450, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $58,830: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Madison, WI

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Madison, WI?: Heavy equipment operators in the Madison, WI area earn a median of $83,060 a year, or $39.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $102,450.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Madison, WI?: The median hourly wage is $39.93. The middle half earn between $31.65 and $47.46 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Madison, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $28.29 an hour ($58,830 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $31.65.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Madison or Minneapolis?: Pay is about the same: the median is $83,060 in Madison and $83,340 in Minneapolis.
How does Madison pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Madison median of $83,060 is 10% 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 31540 (Madison, 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 (97.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures