SOC 47-2073 · Bellingham, WA metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Bellingham, WA

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Bellingham, Washington is $95,710 a year ($46.01 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $91,510: half of the 400 people in this job in the Bellingham, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 41% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,884).

$95,710average per year

$46.01 / hourMedian $91,510Take-home ≈ $76,162

  • $61K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $92KMedian
  • $115K75th
  • $127K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

400people in this job
+41%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 11Washington metros
103cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Bellingham

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,450 a year or less, while the top 10% make $127,010 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Bellingham earn between $77,880 and $115,350.

  • $61K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $92KMedian
  • $115K75th
  • $127K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$95,710$7,976$46.01
Median$91,510$7,626$44.00
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,880$6,490$37.44
Experienced (75th percentile)$115,350$9,612$55.46

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

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Bellingham

On the average salary of $95,710, a single filer in Bellingham takes home about $76,162 a year, or $6,347 a month and $2,929 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

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

Prices in the Bellingham area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.3), so the average $95,710 buys what about $92,622 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Bellingham ($57,820). A typical home costs $620,829, or 6.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $95,710 is worth in another city

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

Bellingham ranks 2nd of 11 Washington metro areas for this job; Seattle pays the most ($96,510).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Washington

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 Bellingham: questions

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

$46.01 an hour on average, and $44.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,450 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,880, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $76,162 a year ($6,347 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $95,710. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

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

The average here is 41% 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 Bellingham, WA (13380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
  • 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 no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.41, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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