SOC 47-2073 · Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Houma, LA

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Houma, Louisiana is $52,950 a year ($25.46 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $48,990: half of the 710 people in this job in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$52,950average per year

$25.46 / hourMedian $48,990Take-home ≈ $43,523

  • $37K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $71K90th

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

710people in this job
-20%vs U.S. average
#7 of 10Louisiana metros
85cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Houma

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,270 a year or less, while the top 10% make $71,120 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Houma earn between $46,290 and $59,220.

  • $37K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $71K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,950$4,412$25.46
Median$48,990$4,082$23.55
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,290$3,858$22.25
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 Houma vs. Louisiana and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Houma earn 4% less than the Louisiana average ($55,380) and 20% less than the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is -18% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Houma$52,950$48,990$37,270$71,120710
Louisiana$55,380$51,700$37,440$75,1807,860
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 Houma

On the average salary of $52,950, a single filer in Houma takes home about $43,523 a year, or $3,627 a month and $1,674 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Louisiana paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Houma area are 15% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.1), so the average $52,950 buys what about $62,219 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Houma ($45,610). A typical home costs $186,622, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,950 is worth in another city

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

Houma ranks 7th of 10 Louisiana metro areas for this job; Baton Rouge pays the most ($58,870).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Louisiana

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 Houma: questions

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

$25.46 an hour on average, and $23.55 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,270 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,290, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $43,523 a year ($3,627 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,950.

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

The average here is 20% 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 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA (26380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.76, this job is 2.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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