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Job outlook for equipment operators in the United States
Equipment operator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected equipment operator job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 22,000 new jobs for equipment operators are projected over the next decade.
Equipment operator salaries have increased 8% for equipment operators in the last 5 years.
There are over 606,553 equipment operators currently employed in the United States.
There are 62,473 active equipment operator job openings in the US.
The average equipment operator salary is $31,739.
Are equipment operator jobs in demand?
Yes, equipment operator jobs are in demand. Equipment operator demand is projected to grow 5% from 2018 to 2028.
Equipment operator job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of equipment operator jobs and the average equipment operator salary over time.
Equipment operator jobs over time
Equipment operator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 606,553 | 0.18% |
| 2020 | 573,532 | 0.17% |
| 2019 | 573,662 | 0.17% |
| 2018 | 553,962 | 0.17% |
| 2017 | 527,363 | 0.16% |
Average equipment operator salary over time
Equipment operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $31,739 | $15.26 | +1.6% |
| 2025 | $31,235 | $15.02 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $30,489 | $14.66 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $29,998 | $14.42 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $29,264 | $14.07 | +2.9% |
Equipment operator jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of equipment operator job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where equipment operators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for equipment operators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,376 | 20% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 142 | 20% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 130 | 18% |
| 4 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 180 | 17% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 169 | 16% |
| 6 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 969 | 11% |
| 7 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 140 | 10% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 278 | 9% |
| 9 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 148 | 9% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 68 | 9% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 246 | 8% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 49 | 8% |
| 13 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 452 | 7% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 134 | 7% |
| 15 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 96 | 7% |
| 16 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 39 | 7% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 751 | 6% |
| 18 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 402 | 6% |
| 19 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 316 | 6% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 54 | 6% |
Most common cities for equipment operators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Juliet | 15 | 45% | $27,486 |
| 2 | Hendersonville | 15 | 26% | $27,603 |
| 3 | Hopkinsville | 6 | 19% | $30,876 |
| 4 | Bowling Green | 7 | 11% | $31,546 |
| 5 | Bartlett | 4 | 10% | $38,129 |
| 6 | Goodyear | 6 | 8% | $27,928 |
| 7 | Savannah | 7 | 5% | $24,450 |
| 8 | Lakeland | 5 | 5% | $22,851 |
| 9 | Clarksville | 6 | 4% | $27,709 |
| 10 | Cedar Rapids | 5 | 4% | $32,842 |
| 11 | Carmel | 4 | 4% | $36,109 |
| 12 | Long Beach | 9 | 2% | $41,186 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 8 | 1% | $35,980 |
| 14 | Sacramento | 5 | 1% | $43,316 |