Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Colorado
SOC 47-2073 · Colorado · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$62,629
$30.11/hr
4.6% higher than the US national median ($59,862)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in Colorado in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$49K
P25$58K
P50$63K
P75$74K
P90$79K
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- manufacturing openings are at 4.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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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 $62,629 to $73,674 (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 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 · MODERATE
Manufacturing is running a 4.0% job-openings rate with quits at 1.6% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has held near 4.0% 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
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 4.0% (down 54K) after July's durable-goods jump, which held at 4.4% on revision. Quits rose to 1.6%, led by nondurable goods.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings jumped to 4.4% (up 79K), all of it in durable goods, the biggest sector move this release. Quits eased to 1.4%.
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 August 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 Colorado is $62,629 per year ($30.11/hr). This is 4.6% higher 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: Colorado
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$23.79
$49,483
+17.3%
P25
$27.74
$57,699
+18.5%
P50MEDIAN
$30.11
$62,629
+4.6%
P75
$35.42
$73,674
-4.5%
P90Top earners
$37.92
$78,874
-22.0%
How Colorado compares for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Colorado is above national (+17.3%) at entry but below national (-22.0%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively lower toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $59,862 would sit at about the 35th percentile in Colorado.
The top of the range earns 1.59 times the bottom here against 2.40 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Colorado.
Colorado employs 11,700 people in this role, 2.4% of the national total.
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
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary in Colorado?
The median (P50) annual salary for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Colorado is approximately $62,629, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 4.6% higher 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.
