SOC 47-2073 · Roanoke, VA metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Roanoke, VA

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Roanoke, Virginia is $52,630 a year ($25.30 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,010: half of the 480 people in this job in the Roanoke, VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$52,630average per year

$25.30 / hourMedian $49,010Take-home ≈ $42,256

  • $38K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $71K90th

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

480people in this job
-21%vs U.S. average
#6 of 9Virginia metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Roanoke

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,860 a year or less, while the top 10% make $70,670 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Roanoke earn between $45,830 and $58,040.

  • $38K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $71K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,630$4,386$25.30
Median$49,010$4,084$23.56
Entry level (25th percentile)$45,830$3,819$22.03
Experienced (75th percentile)$58,040$4,837$27.90

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

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Roanoke vs. Virginia and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Roanoke earn 10% less than the Virginia average ($58,400) and 21% 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
Roanoke$52,630$49,010$37,860$70,670480
Virginia$58,400$57,160$40,870$78,25012,100
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 Roanoke

On the average salary of $52,630, a single filer in Roanoke takes home about $42,256 a year, or $3,521 a month and $1,625 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Virginia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Roanoke area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.6), so the average $52,630 buys what about $56,218 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Roanoke ($47,140). A typical home costs $301,139, or 5.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,630 is worth in another city

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

Roanoke ranks 6th of 9 Virginia metro areas for this job; Charlottesville pays the most ($61,460).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Virginia

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 Roanoke: questions

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

$25.30 an hour on average, and $23.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,860 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,830, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $42,256 a year ($3,521 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,630.

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

The average here is 21% 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 Roanoke, VA (40220). 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 (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.01, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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