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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Kentucky

$59,320avg. a year
$28.52 an hour · 7,050 employed

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Kentucky earn an average of $59,320 a year. That is $6,970 (11%) less than the U.S. average of $66,290. The best-paying metro area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN at $72,760.

Pay by cityCompare states
$57,780Median pay
$28.52Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
#34Of 50 states + D.C.

Top-paying Kentucky metro areas

Average pay for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area. Swipe to see all 9.

13,120 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$72,760
$34.98 an hour
21,920 jobs
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
$65,240
$31.37 an hour
3300 jobs
Bowling Green, KY
$61,110
$29.38 an hour
41,040 jobs
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
$60,800
$29.23 an hour
5460 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$60,380
$29.03 an hour
6760 jobs
Lexington-Fayette, KY
$59,260
$28.49 an hour
7110 jobs
Elizabethtown, KY
$55,500
$26.68 an hour
8140 jobs
Owensboro, KY
$55,360
$26.62 an hour
9420 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$53,750
$25.84 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Kentucky, charted

Pay over time

Kentucky, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where Kentucky operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · Kentucky highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $55k$55k–$64k$64k–$76k$76k+Kentucky

Kentucky vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$66,290$31.87
Kentucky$59,320$28.52
Illinois$90,500$43.51
Indiana$75,300$36.20
Ohio$71,830$34.54
Missouri$67,960$32.67
Virginia$58,400$28.08

Related jobs in Kentucky

All jobs in Kentucky

Average pay, Kentucky, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make in Kentucky?

The average is $59,320 a year, and the median is $57,780. That is $6,970 (11%) less than the U.S. average of $66,290.

What is the hourly wage in Kentucky?

$28.52 an hour on average; the median is $27.78.

Where in Kentucky do they earn the most?

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($72,760), followed by Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN ($65,240). The lowest average among 9 metro areas with data is Clarksville, TN-KY ($53,750).

How does Kentucky rank?

Kentucky ranks #34 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 47-2073. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national operating engineers and other construction equipment operators page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.