SOC 47-2073 · Stockton-Lodi, CA metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Stockton, CA

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Stockton, California is $87,990 a year ($42.31 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $77,420: half of the 760 people in this job in the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 33% more than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$87,990average per year

$42.31 / hourMedian $77,420Take-home ≈ $66,640

  • $49K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $129K90th

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

760people in this job
+33%vs U.S. average
#15 of 25California metros
105cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Stockton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,490 a year or less, while the top 10% make $128,960 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Stockton earn between $61,450 and $120,050.

  • $49K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $129K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$87,990$7,332$42.30
Median$77,420$6,452$37.22
Entry level (25th percentile)$61,450$5,121$29.54
Experienced (75th percentile)$120,050$10,004$57.72

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

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Stockton vs. California and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Stockton earn 6% less than the California average ($94,000) and 33% more than the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is +29% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Stockton$87,990$77,420$49,490$128,960760
California$94,000$87,160$52,760$132,21036,020
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 Stockton

On the average salary of $87,990, a single filer in Stockton takes home about $66,640 a year, or $5,553 a month and $2,563 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Stockton area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.1), so the average $87,990 buys what about $83,729 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Stockton ($48,990). A typical home costs $531,785, or 6.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $87,990 is worth in another city

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

Stockton ranks 15th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($111,400).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in California

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 Stockton: questions

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

$42.31 an hour on average, and $37.22 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,490 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,450, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $66,640 a year ($5,553 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $87,990. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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

The average here is 33% 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 Stockton-Lodi, CA (44700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • 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 state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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