Is this a competitive Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$40K
P25$48K
P50$51K
P75$61K
P90$71K
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
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Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $50,960 to $61,110 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Operating Engineers and Other Construction 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 rose 1.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.4 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
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 median salary for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $50,960 per year ($24.50/hr). This is 14.9% lower than the national median of $59,862.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
Wage Percentiles: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$19.43
$40,414
-4.2%
P25
$23.09
$48,027
-1.3%
P50MEDIAN
$24.50
$50,960
-14.9%
P75
$29.38
$61,110
-20.8%
P90Top earners
$34.32
$71,386
-29.4%
Get the full percentile report
P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.6%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
42K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
489K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
NAICS 238900
119K
$60,160
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
65K
$52,080
Wage range across top 5 industries: $52,080 to $60,160 (16% spread)
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The median (P50) annual salary for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is approximately $50,960, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 14.9% lower than the national median of $59,862. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
