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Agricultural Equipment Operators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 45-2091 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$41,725
$20.06/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Agricultural Equipment Operators salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$34K
P25$37K
P50$42K
P75$48K
P90$59K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $41,725 to $48,090 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Agricultural Equipment Operators pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role fell 2.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 1.8 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Agricultural Equipment Operators is $41,725 per year ($20.06/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $36,816 and $48,090 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $58,656 per year. There are approximately 28,500 agricultural equipment operators employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+7.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
11K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
65K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
5% from new growth95% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Support Activities for Crop Production
NAICS 115100
15K$37,600
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only)
NAICS 4240A3
6K$46,680
Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS 424500
3K$46,160
Beverage Manufacturing
NAICS 312100
640$47,880
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
530$61,430
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,600 to $61,430 (63% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$16.11$33,509
P25$17.70$36,816
P50MEDIAN$20.06$41,725
P75$23.12$48,090
P90$28.20$58,656

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%

The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average agricultural equipment operators salary?

The national median salary for Agricultural Equipment Operators is $41,725 per year ($20.06/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $36,816 and $48,090 annually.

How much do top-earning agricultural equipment operators make?

The 90th percentile salary for Agricultural Equipment Operators is $58,656 per year ($28.20/hr). The 75th percentile is $48,090 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for agricultural equipment operators?

Entry-level Agricultural Equipment Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,509 per year ($16.11/hr). The 25th percentile is $36,816 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse45-2092$36K/yrFarmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals45-2093$37K/yrFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers45-1011$59K/yrGraders and Sorters, Agricultural Products45-2041$36K/yrLogging Equipment Operators45-4022$50K/yrBrowse all 770+ occupations →

Agricultural Equipment Operators Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California7,940 workersTexas2,200 workersIllinois1,910 workersIowa1,530 workersNebraska1,090 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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