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Best states for an excavator operator
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for excavator operators in the United States. Excavator operator positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for excavator operators.In order to help you decide which state is the best for excavator operators, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for excavator operator jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for excavator operators. Rhode Island is the best state for excavator operators, where the median salary is $61,658.If you are currently seeking employment as an excavator operator, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for excavator operators in 2025
1. Rhode Island
Total excavator operator jobs: 139 Average annual salary: $61,658 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 5
2. Massachusetts
Total excavator operator jobs: 1,077 Average annual salary: $61,663 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 5.12
3. Maryland
Total excavator operator jobs: 839 Average annual salary: $56,878 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 5.78
4. Delaware
Total excavator operator jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $58,524 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
5. Alaska
Total excavator operator jobs: 94 Average annual salary: $52,022 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 4.92
6. Montana
Total excavator operator jobs: 104 Average annual salary: $49,345 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 3.94
7. Nevada
Total excavator operator jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $57,241 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 0.61
8. Maine
Total excavator operator jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $49,123 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. New Hampshire
Total excavator operator jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $61,603 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.35
10. District of Columbia
Total excavator operator jobs: 108 Average annual salary: $56,166 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 2.81
Excavator operator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an excavator operator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an excavator operator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $61,658 | $42,000 | 1,059,639 | 139 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $61,663 | $43,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,077 |
| 3 | Maryland | $56,878 | $39,000 | 6,052,177 | 839 |
| 4 | Delaware | $58,524 | $40,000 | 961,939 | 23 |
| 5 | Alaska | $52,022 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 94 |
| 6 | Montana | $49,345 | $37,000 | 1,050,493 | 104 |
| 7 | Nevada | $57,241 | $41,000 | 2,998,039 | 29 |
| 8 | Maine | $49,123 | $35,000 | 1,335,907 | 27 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $61,603 | $43,000 | 1,342,795 | 14 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $56,166 | $38,000 | 693,972 | 108 |
| 11 | Vermont | $60,772 | $43,000 | 623,657 | 5 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $61,048 | $42,000 | 3,588,184 | 10 |
| 13 | Idaho | $45,851 | $34,000 | 1,716,943 | 57 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $48,848 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 763 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $44,650 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 27 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $47,233 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 169 |
| 17 | Ohio | $47,093 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 127 |
| 18 | Utah | $43,721 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 74 |
| 19 | Oregon | $48,015 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 46 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $48,667 | $40,000 | 1,427,538 | 82 |
| 21 | New York | $51,443 | $35,000 | 19,849,399 | 66 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $46,637 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 4 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $46,183 | $32,000 | 1,815,857 | 6 |
| 24 | Iowa | $42,046 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 77 |
| 25 | Washington | $47,987 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 69 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $42,421 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 11 |
| 27 | Colorado | $45,265 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 89 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $42,900 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 49 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $42,741 | $32,000 | 1,920,076 | 30 |
| 30 | Michigan | $43,399 | $30,000 | 9,962,311 | 80 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $41,011 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 130 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $43,372 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 44 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $41,768 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 54 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $43,709 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 57 |
| 35 | California | $46,638 | $33,000 | 39,536,653 | 233 |
| 36 | Arizona | $42,890 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 70 |
| 37 | Kansas | $39,811 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 58 |
| 38 | Indiana | $41,152 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 65 |
| 39 | Virginia | $42,785 | $29,000 | 8,470,020 | 120 |
| 40 | Illinois | $42,685 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 78 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $40,288 | $30,000 | 2,088,070 | 24 |
| 42 | Alabama | $37,475 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 88 |
| 43 | Texas | $37,900 | $28,000 | 28,304,596 | 378 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $37,813 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 37 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $38,559 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 143 |
| 46 | Missouri | $41,083 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 50 |
| 47 | Georgia | $36,207 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 199 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $36,741 | $27,000 | 6,715,984 | 80 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $36,877 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 37 |
| 50 | Florida | $36,761 | $26,000 | 20,984,400 | 259 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $37,500 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 34 |
Highest paying states for excavator operators
| Rank | State | Avg. Excavator Operator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $61,658 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $61,663 |
| 3 | Maryland | $56,878 |
| 4 | Delaware | $58,524 |
| 5 | Alaska | $52,022 |
| 6 | Montana | $49,345 |
| 7 | Nevada | $57,241 |
| 8 | Maine | $49,123 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $61,603 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $56,166 |
| 11 | Vermont | $60,772 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $61,048 |
| 13 | Idaho | $45,851 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $48,848 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $44,650 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $47,233 |
| 17 | Ohio | $47,093 |
| 18 | Utah | $43,721 |
| 19 | Oregon | $48,015 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $48,667 |
| 21 | New York | $51,443 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $46,637 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $46,183 |
| 24 | Iowa | $42,046 |
| 25 | Washington | $47,987 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $42,421 |
| 27 | Colorado | $45,265 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $42,900 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $42,741 |
| 30 | Michigan | $43,399 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $41,011 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $43,372 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $41,768 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $43,709 |
| 35 | California | $46,638 |
| 36 | Arizona | $42,890 |
| 37 | Kansas | $39,811 |
| 38 | Indiana | $41,152 |
| 39 | Virginia | $42,785 |
| 40 | Illinois | $42,685 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $40,288 |
| 42 | Alabama | $37,475 |
| 43 | Texas | $37,900 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $37,813 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $38,559 |
| 46 | Missouri | $41,083 |
| 47 | Georgia | $36,207 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $36,741 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $36,877 |
| 50 | Florida | $36,761 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $37,500 |
Excavator operator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025