SOC 47-2073 · Bismarck, ND metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Bismarck, ND

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Bismarck, North Dakota is $66,120 a year ($31.79 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,150: half of the 580 people in this job in the Bismarck, ND metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$66,120average per year

$31.79 / hourMedian $62,150Take-home ≈ $55,299

  • $48K10th
  • $53K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $87K90th

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

580people in this job
-0%vs U.S. average
#3 of 4North Dakota metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Bismarck

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,030 a year or less, while the top 10% make $87,290 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Bismarck earn between $53,400 and $73,110.

  • $48K10th
  • $53K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $87K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$66,120$5,510$31.79
Median$62,150$5,179$29.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$53,400$4,450$25.67
Experienced (75th percentile)$73,110$6,092$35.15

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

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Bismarck vs. North Dakota and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Bismarck earn 4% less than the North Dakota average ($68,640) and about the same as the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is +4% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Bismarck$66,120$62,150$48,030$87,290580
North Dakota$68,640$62,150$49,840$100,5704,890
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 Bismarck

On the average salary of $66,120, a single filer in Bismarck takes home about $55,299 a year, or $4,608 a month and $2,127 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

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

North Dakota paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Bismarck area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.0), so the average $66,120 buys what about $72,640 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Bismarck ($52,560). A typical home costs $356,992, or 5.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $66,120 is worth in another city

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in other North Dakota cities

Bismarck ranks 3rd of 4 North Dakota metro areas for this job; Minot pays the most ($67,900).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in North Dakota

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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Bismarck, ND.

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

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

$31.79 an hour on average, and $29.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,030 a year and the 25th percentile is $53,400, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $55,299 a year ($4,608 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $66,120.

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Bismarck, ND (13900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
  • 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 2.64, this job is 2.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.