Post job

Caterpillar salary estimate

$57,298yearly

$27.55 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$30,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Caterpillar Salary Overview

Caterpillar's average salary stands at $57,298 per year, making it an attractive employer in the industrial sector. Salaries vary significantly based on factors like location, department, and job role. For example, positions in engineering tend to command higher salaries due to the specialized skills required. In states like Texas and Illinois, employees often see higher compensation compared to other regions. Furthermore, job titles such as Senior Engineer and Project Manager are among the highest-paying roles, reflecting the company's commitment to rewarding expertise and leadership. Understanding these salary dynamics can help prospective employees gauge their earning potential and make informed career decisions.

Highest paying jobs at Caterpillar

The highest paying jobs at Caterpillar are section manager, project team lead, sap consultant, and android developer. Section manager jobs at Caterpillar earn an average yearly salary of $112,193, Caterpillar project team lead jobs average $109,974, and Caterpillar sap consultant jobs average $109,779.

The lowest paying Caterpillar roles include assembly line worker and assembler. Caterpillar assembly line worker average salary is $28,677 per year. So while the average Caterpillar salary is $57,298 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Caterpillar

RankJob titleAverage Caterpillar salaryHourly rate
1Section Manager$112,193$53.94
2Project Team Lead$109,974$52.87
3SAP Consultant$109,779$52.78
4Android Developer$106,962$51.42
5Java Developer$105,407$50.68
6Engineering Specialist$105,019$50.49
7Senior Design Engineer$104,547$50.26
8Lean SIX Sigma Black Belt$104,023$50.01
9Project Manager$103,105$49.57
10Senior Engineering Associate$102,013$49.04
11Information Technology Analyst$98,065$47.15
12Requirements Engineer$90,548$43.53
13Distribution Supervisor$84,962$40.85
14Team Leader$64,778$31.14
15Planning Analyst$55,236$26.56
16Buyer$48,475$23.31
17Operation Supervisor$47,919$23.04
18Human Resources Coordinator$39,888$19.18
19Machinist$38,898$18.70
20Welder$37,902$18.22

Rate Caterpillar's fairness in compensating employees.

Zippia waving zebra

Average Caterpillar salary by state

Caterpillar pays the highest salaries in California due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage Caterpillar salaryHourly rate
1California$64,933$31.22
2Washington$63,459$30.51
3District of Columbia$61,229$29.44
4Colorado$58,644$28.19
5Texas$58,271$28.01
6Virginia$58,154$27.96
7Arizona$58,066$27.92
8Minnesota$57,608$27.70
9Illinois$57,069$27.44
10Pennsylvania$56,880$27.35
11North Dakota$56,056$26.95
12Michigan$55,500$26.68
13Wisconsin$55,493$26.68
14North Carolina$55,294$26.58
15Georgia$55,242$26.56
16Ohio$54,915$26.40
17Missouri$54,606$26.25
18Alabama$53,903$25.91
19South Carolina$53,826$25.88
20Tennessee$53,769$25.85

How much does Caterpillar pay by location?

The average Caterpillar salary varies by location. Caterpillar salaries are the highest in San Diego, CA, at $64,257 per year. Caterpillar pays the second highest average salary in Spokane, WA, at $62,781 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Caterpillar locations

RankLocationAverage Caterpillar salaryHourly rate
1San Diego, CA$64,257$30.89
2Spokane, WA$62,781$30.18
3Denver, CO$58,482$28.12
4Seguin, TX$58,207$27.98
5Tucson, AZ$57,640$27.71
6Brooklyn Park, MN$57,596$27.69
7Rossville, IL$57,007$27.41
8Pittsburgh, PA$56,110$26.98
9West Fargo, ND$56,108$26.98
10Menominee, MI$55,603$26.73
11Griffin, GA$55,341$26.61
12South Milwaukee, WI$55,260$26.57
13Sanford, NC$55,223$26.55
14Boonville, MO$54,636$26.27
15Clayton, OH$54,531$26.22
16Wamego, KS$54,269$26.09
17Sumter, SC$53,912$25.92
18Lafayette, IN$53,193$25.57
19Miami, FL$52,619$25.30
20Corinth, MS$52,566$25.27

Do you work at Caterpillar?

Were you satisfied with Caterpillar's salary and benefits?

Caterpillar salaries by department

Salaries at Caterpillar vary depending on the department you work in. Caterpillar salaries in the research & development department are the highest with an average salary of $93,914. Employees in the engineering department at Caterpillar receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $93,403 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Caterpillar include the warehouse and the administrative organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $33,748 and $34,058, respectively.

Average Caterpillar salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Caterpillar salaryHourly rate
1Research & Development$93,914$45.15
2Engineering$93,403$44.91
3Marketing$77,553$37.29
4Supply Chain$71,075$34.17
5IT$70,473$33.88
6Retail$62,239$29.92
7Facilities$42,758$20.56
8Plant/Manufacturing$41,786$20.09
9Construction$40,199$19.33
10Administrative$34,059$16.37
11Warehouse$33,748$16.23

How much does Caterpillar pay by department?

Best paying Caterpillar engineering salaries

RankPositionAverage Caterpillar salaryHourly rate
1Project Leader$124,348$59.78
2Technical Team Lead$114,797$55.19
3Oracle Database Administrator$114,270$54.94
4Section Manager$112,193$53.94
5SAP Consultant$109,779$52.78
6Sap-Sd Consultant$109,472$52.63
7Android Developer$106,962$51.42
8Java Developer$105,407$50.68
9Engineering Specialist$105,019$50.49
10Senior Design Engineer$104,547$50.26
11Lean SIX Sigma Black Belt$104,023$50.01
12Senior Engineering Associate$102,013$49.04
13Data Scientist$94,376$45.37
14Data Analyst$92,062$44.26
15Requirements Engineer$90,548$43.53
16Quality Supervisor$83,407$40.10
17Test Specialist$34,617$16.64
18Manufacturing Technician$34,312$16.50
19Production Technician$33,065$15.90

Best paying Caterpillar plant/manufacturing salaries

RankPositionAverage Caterpillar salaryHourly rate
1Tool And Die Maker$55,015$26.45
2Production Supervisor$53,658$25.80
3Machinist$38,898$18.70
4Welder$37,902$18.22
5Production Support Specialist$36,209$17.41
6Manufacturing Engineering Internship$36,101$17.36
72nd Shift Supervisor$35,016$16.83
8Assembly Technician$34,807$16.73
9Auditor/Quality$34,659$16.66
10Test Specialist$34,617$16.64
11Lift Operator$34,440$16.56
12Manufacturing Technician$34,312$16.50
13Machine Operator$33,632$16.17
14Quality Inspector$32,885$15.81
15Forklift Driver$32,694$15.72
16Assembler$31,609$15.20
17Line Up Worker$30,817$14.82
18Assembly Line Worker$28,678$13.79
19Detailer$27,907$13.42

Best paying Caterpillar warehouse salaries

RankPositionAverage Caterpillar salaryHourly rate
1Inventory Analyst$64,843$31.17
2Receiving Team Leader$35,820$17.22
3Order Selector$35,335$16.99
4Forklift Operator$34,114$16.40
5Shipping And Receiving Clerk$34,062$16.38
6Materials Specialist$33,841$16.27
7Fork Truck Operator$33,801$16.25
8Shipping Clerk$33,521$16.12
9Inventory Coordinator$33,468$16.09
10Order Picker$33,353$16.04
11Warehouse Worker$33,293$16.01
12Warehouse Associate$33,152$15.94
13Production Worker$32,977$15.85
14Material Handler$32,908$15.82
15Forklift Driver$32,694$15.72
16Picker And Packer$32,509$15.63

Caterpillar competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Caterpillar competitors, like General Electric, General Motors, and Cummins, vary. General Electric employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $86,183. The average salary at General Motors is $79,461 per year, and the average salary at Cummins is $71,408 per year.

Highest paying Caterpillar competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1General Electric4.8$86,183
2General Motors4.6$79,461
3Cummins4.6$71,408
4Gardner Denver4.8$68,714
5PACCAR4.5$67,735
6Terex4.2$59,612
7Eaton4.7$58,806
8Kimberly-Clark4.7$55,890
9Whirlpool4.6$49,382
10Alcoa4.8$49,237

Recently added Caterpillar salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Concurrent Product and Process Development (Cppd) EngineerDecatur, IL06/28/2025$95,640
Parts Inventory AnalystMorton, IL06/28/2025$87,480
Engineer-DesignTucson, AZ06/28/2025$87,480
Senior Engineering Project Team LeaderTucson, AZ06/28/2025$126,000
Material Planning and Purchasing Manager-Electric PowerGriffin, GA06/28/2025$110,520

What employees say about salary at Caterpillar

Employee reviews
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2025
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Safety conscious large company could transfer

Cons of working at Caterpillar

Low pay not enough paid time off

Caterpillar benefits

Clubs that we can join and be a part of

What do you like best about Caterpillar's CEO and the leadership team?

Knows me by first name

How would you improve Caterpillar's culture?

Monetary incentives more

How did you prepare for the Caterpillar interview?

I didn’t prepare I’m naturally gregarious and outgoing

How does your compensation at Caterpillar compare to the industry average?

I’m not sure

What's the diversity at Caterpillar like?

Adequate

What brings you the most joy at Caterpillar?

Being singled out for positive behavior and for advertising

Is this useful?
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2024
Pros of working at Caterpillar

The work environment and job itself is great depending on where you’re at, and the benefits are pretty decent.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

Pay is not where it needs to be and they’re no longer in a competitive margin with similar companies as far as compensation.

Caterpillar benefits

The work isn’t hard and, when available, the overtime is nice.

How did you prepare for the Caterpillar interview?

Get familiar with the S.T.A.R. Format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when formulating your answers and you’ll do fine.

How does your compensation at Caterpillar compare to the industry average?

The compensation at Caterpillar is definitely below the industry average depending on your position.

Is this useful?
profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros of working at Caterpillar

We are a diverse team with a strong focus on safety and quality. We have exceptional benefits and lots of pto. My hours are Monday through Thursday.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

It is not located in or near Chattanooga TN where my family lives.

Caterpillar benefits

PTO, 401K, Insurance and we do not work on weekends.

Is this useful?
profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Good company, communication, benefits always has a vested interest in the people that work for them.

Caterpillar benefits

Benefits, life involvement

Is this useful?
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2021
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Good pay, variety of work opportunities and 401k match

Cons of working at Caterpillar

During busy times mandatory scheduled weekend work.

Caterpillar benefits

Good healthcare

Is this useful?
profile
2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2021
Pros of working at Caterpillar

work-life balance

Cons of working at Caterpillar

the organization and management is a mess. very little growth opportunity

Caterpillar benefits

working from home

Is this useful?
profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

They have very good salaries on average.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

I do not like the central Illinois location

Caterpillar benefits

Incentivized bonuses

Is this useful?
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

There are lots of learning experiences that benefit your personal development.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

There is not much room for opportunities for promotions. They will hire from outside for a higher position before they will promote you.

Caterpillar benefits

401K and Vacation time

Is this useful?
profile
2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Good pay not great

Cons of working at Caterpillar

They do not care about employees, just stock holders

Caterpillar benefits

401k

Is this useful?
profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

great corporate culture

Cons of working at Caterpillar

slowly career development

Caterpillar benefits

the opportunity to interact with different type of people and cultures, good social package

Is this useful?
profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

I like the variety of opportunities available in a variety of disciplines and the opportunity to travel globally.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

Some changes required a significant amount of bureaucracy to improve.

Caterpillar benefits

Flexibility

Is this useful?
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Ability to grow internally transfers

Cons of working at Caterpillar

Distance to work

Caterpillar benefits

Flexibility

Is this useful?
profile
3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

It pays decent

Cons of working at Caterpillar

No time for personal life and they need to re-evaluate their pay

Caterpillar benefits

Health benefits and retirement benifits

Is this useful?
profile
3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros of working at Caterpillar

The experience, working hands on, and pretty good pay for entry level type welding.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

The lack of care to employees.

Caterpillar benefits

The Caterpillar name.

Is this useful?
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Co- workers made the job fun and interesting.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

Some Bias Managers and clicks. More focus is needed on developing employees and management and demonstrating values rather than saying you have them.

Caterpillar benefits

Pay and Healthcare benefits are fair. The community focus is good as well.

Is this useful?
profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Chance to learn different areas so you can grow

Cons of working at Caterpillar

Lacking communication

Caterpillar benefits

Benefits in loans, housing, vehicles, etc

Is this useful?
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros of working at Caterpillar

Hours, large company, pay scale, manufacturing, customer service

Cons of working at Caterpillar

No advancement,

Is this useful?
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2018
Pros of working at Caterpillar

I believe it is a fair and honest company. The work environment is comfortable. I like the people and the atmosphere.

Cons of working at Caterpillar

I would like to see more women in higher paying jobs. Most of the women work in office settings. I would like to see a women CEO eventually running the company. I think there is too much nepotism.

Caterpillar benefits

Insurance is the best perk of working for this company. I received a full health insurance at no cost to me while I was there. It is something that I wish all companies had since it could be so expensive.

Is this useful?
Work at Caterpillar? Share your experience

Frequently asked questions about Caterpillar salaries

Search for jobs

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Caterpillar, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Caterpillar. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Caterpillar. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Caterpillar. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Caterpillar and its employees or that of Zippia.

Caterpillar may also be known as or be related to Caterpillar, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Inc, Caterpillar Inc. and Caterpillar, Inc.