SOC 47-2073 · Appleton, WI metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Appleton, WI

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Appleton, Wisconsin is $81,940 a year ($39.40 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $83,010: half of the 480 people in this job in the Appleton, WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 21% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,884).

$81,940average per year

$39.40 / hourMedian $83,010Take-home ≈ $63,119

  • $58K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

480people in this job
+21%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 13Wisconsin metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Appleton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,520 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,330 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Appleton earn between $67,580 and $95,210.

  • $58K10th
  • $68K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$81,940$6,828$39.39
Median$83,010$6,918$39.91
Entry level (25th percentile)$67,580$5,632$32.49
Experienced (75th percentile)$95,210$7,934$45.77

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

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

On the average salary of $81,940, a single filer in Appleton takes home about $63,119 a year, or $5,260 a month and $2,428 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.

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

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

Prices in the Appleton area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.4), so the average $81,940 buys what about $88,661 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Appleton ($49,910). A typical home costs $350,370, or 4.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $81,940 is worth in another city

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

Appleton ranks 4th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Racine pays the most ($83,110).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Wisconsin

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 Appleton: questions

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

$39.40 an hour on average, and $39.91 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,520 a year and the 25th percentile is $67,580, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $63,119 a year ($5,260 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $81,940.

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

The average here is 21% 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 Appleton, WI (11540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • 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 1.25, this job is 1.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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