SOC 47-2073 · Fairbanks-College, AK metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Fairbanks, AK

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Fairbanks, Alaska is $83,380 a year ($40.09 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $82,390: half of the 430 people in this job in the Fairbanks-College, AK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 26% more than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$83,380average per year

$40.09 / hourMedian $82,390Take-home ≈ $67,488

  • $65K10th
  • $73K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $101K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

430people in this job
+26%vs U.S. average
#1 of 2Alaska metros
103cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Fairbanks

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,210 a year or less, while the top 10% make $101,080 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Fairbanks earn between $72,590 and $94,600.

  • $65K10th
  • $73K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $101K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$83,380$6,948$40.09
Median$82,390$6,866$39.61
Entry level (25th percentile)$72,590$6,049$34.90
Experienced (75th percentile)$94,600$7,883$45.48

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Fairbanks vs. Alaska and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Fairbanks earn about the same as the Alaska average ($82,680) and 26% more than the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is +38% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Fairbanks$83,380$82,390$65,210$101,080430
Alaska$82,680$77,810$62,390$103,9003,050
United States$66,290$59,850$42,190$101,090478,090

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Fairbanks

On the average salary of $83,380, a single filer in Fairbanks takes home about $67,488 a year, or $5,624 a month and $2,596 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Alaska's employee unemployment-insurance contribution is not included.

Alaska paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Fairbanks a good place for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Fairbanks area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.2), so the average $83,380 buys what about $80,788 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Fairbanks ($61,810). A typical home costs $312,179, or 3.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $83,380 is worth in another city

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in other Alaska cities

Fairbanks ranks 1st of 2 Alaska metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Alaska

Highest-paying cities for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($111,400).

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary by city

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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in Fairbanks: questions

How much do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make an hour in Fairbanks?

$40.09 an hour on average, and $39.61 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary in Fairbanks?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,210 a year and the 25th percentile is $72,590, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the operating engineers and other construction equipment operators take-home pay in Fairbanks?

About $67,488 a year ($5,624 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $83,380. Alaska has no state income tax; Alaska's employee unemployment-insurance contribution is not included.

Do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators earn more in Fairbanks than elsewhere?

The average here is 26% more than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-2073; area Fairbanks-College, AK (21820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Alaska's employee unemployment-insurance contribution is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 3.82, this job is 3.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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