Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Waterloo
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,130 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,770 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Waterloo earn between $61,740 and $97,770.
- $55K10th
- $62K25th
- $98KMedian
- $98K75th
- $98K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $82,640 | $6,887 | $39.73 |
| Median | $97,770 | $8,148 | $47.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $61,740 | $5,145 | $29.68 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $97,770 | $8,148 | $47.00 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Waterloo
On the average salary of $82,640, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $64,439 a year, or $5,370 a month and $2,478 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Is Waterloo a good place for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Waterloo area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.1), so the average $82,640 buys what about $94,926 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 2.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in other Iowa cities
Waterloo ranks 1st of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Waterloo$82,640
- Davenport$68,940
- Des Moines$66,340
- Cedar Rapids$65,400
- Dubuque$64,840
- Iowa City$63,080
- Ames$62,770
- Sioux City$59,840
All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Iowa
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).
- San Jose, CA$111,400
- San Francisco, CA$110,300
- Kahului, HI$106,970
- Honolulu, HI$104,010
- Santa Rosa, CA$101,710
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary by city
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in Waterloo: questions
How much do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make an hour in Waterloo?
$39.73 an hour on average, and $47.01 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary in Waterloo?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,130 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,740, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the operating engineers and other construction equipment operators take-home pay in Waterloo?
About $64,439 a year ($5,370 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $82,640. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?
The average here is 22% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,884).
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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.64, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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