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Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in North Carolina

Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in North Carolina

Considering a career as an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator in North Carolina?

13.3% Jobs Projection
$37,930 Median Salary
1,490 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in North Carolina are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in North Carolina is growing faster than average.

  • Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in North Carolina earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Career?

How Many Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Work in North Carolina?

12,720 people worked as Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in 2018 in this state.

There were 11,750 Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 970 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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The typical state has 5,620 Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators working in it, which means North Carolina has more Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators than average.

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Job Projections for North Carolina

Jobs for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in this state are growing at a rate of 13.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 12.3%.

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North Carolina Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 1,490 annual Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators job openings in North Carolina, and 13,120 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 47,300 annual jobs and 416,900 total jobs in 2026.

What do Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Make in North Carolina?

In 2018 wages for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators ranged from $28,220 to $53,810 with $37,930 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $13.57 to $25.87. The median hourly rate was $18.24.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $17.6 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.64.

The median salary in North Carolina is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top North Carolina Metros for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 3,480 $38,420
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 2,390 $41,310
Raleigh, NC 2,160 $40,130
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 740 $36,090
Winston-Salem, NC 660 $38,220
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 550 $40,590
Greensboro-High Point, NC 520 $37,290
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 450 $42,240
Asheville, NC 360 $37,200
Fayetteville, NC 290 $35,290
Wilmington, NC 280 $38,660
Burlington, NC 230 $36,120
Greenville, NC 140 n/a
Jacksonville, NC 130 $40,980
Rocky Mount, NC 130 $35,920
Goldsboro, NC 110 $34,450

Top States for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Employment

View the list below to see where most Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Texas 42,880 $39,400
California 28,110 $71,120
Pennsylvania 21,110 $48,700
Florida 18,720 $37,580
Ohio 15,500 $53,060
New York 13,160 $69,590
North Carolina 12,720 $37,930
Georgia 11,360 $36,100
Colorado 11,290 $49,460
Illinois 11,150 $83,860
Virginia 10,450 $40,220
Minnesota 10,010 $64,750
Indiana 9,160 $53,790
Louisiana 8,820 $43,600
Washington 8,750 $64,880
Wisconsin 7,970 $63,320
Michigan 7,870 $52,240
Arizona 7,400 $45,930
Missouri 7,290 $51,570
Massachusetts 7,010 $60,840

Below are the states where Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
Illinois $83,860
Hawaii $82,000
New Jersey $71,650
California $71,120
Alaska $70,210
New York $69,590
Connecticut $67,880
Washington $64,880
Minnesota $64,750
Wisconsin $63,320

You may also be interested in the following careers:

Occupation North Carolina Employment Total
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators 1,280
Pile-Driver Operators 110

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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