SOC 47-2073 · Elizabethtown, KY metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Elizabethtown, KY

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Elizabethtown, Kentucky is $55,500 a year ($26.68 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $50,960: half of the 110 people in this job in the Elizabethtown, KY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$55,500average per year

$26.68 / hourMedian $50,960Take-home ≈ $43,867

  • $43K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $80K90th

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

110people in this job
-16%vs U.S. average
#5 of 6Kentucky metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Elizabethtown

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $79,870 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Elizabethtown earn between $47,300 and $59,220.

  • $43K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $80K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$55,500$4,625$26.68
Median$50,960$4,247$24.50
Entry level (25th percentile)$47,300$3,942$22.74
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,220$4,935$28.47

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

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Elizabethtown vs. Kentucky and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Elizabethtown earn 6% less than the Kentucky average ($59,320) and 16% less than the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is -15% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Elizabethtown$55,500$50,960$43,080$79,870110
Kentucky$59,320$57,780$44,620$80,8907,050
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 Elizabethtown

On the average salary of $55,500, a single filer in Elizabethtown takes home about $43,867 a year, or $3,656 a month and $1,687 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Elizabethtown's local income tax (1.95%).

Kentucky paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Elizabethtown area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.6), so the average $55,500 buys what about $61,277 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Elizabethtown ($46,810). A typical home costs $253,920, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $55,500 is worth in another city

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

Elizabethtown ranks 5th of 6 Kentucky metro areas for this job; Louisville pays the most ($65,240).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Kentucky

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 Elizabethtown: questions

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

$26.68 an hour on average, and $24.50 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,300, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $43,867 a year ($3,656 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $55,500. Includes Elizabethtown's local income tax (1.95%).

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

The average here is 16% less 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 Elizabethtown, KY (21060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
  • 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 state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Elizabethtown's local income tax (1.95%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.68, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.68).

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