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Front end loader operator salary
Average front end loader operator salary
$16.6
Average Front End Loader Operator Salary
The average salary for a Front End Loader Operator is approximately $34,530 per year, which translates to around $17 per hour. Salaries vary significantly across different states and industries, reflecting local demand and cost of living. For instance, operators in regions with high construction activity may see increased earnings.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions often start at lower pay, while experienced operators can command higher salaries. Those with specialized skills or certifications may also earn more, contributing to career growth and stability.
Geographic Salary Variations
Understanding where to work is crucial; states such as Texas and California often offer competitive salaries due to their robust job markets. Researching these factors can aid in identifying lucrative opportunities and aligning your career goals with potential earnings.
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Where can a Front End Loader Operator earn more?
Front end loader operator salaries by experience level
Front end loader operator salary estimates from across the web
Average front end loader operator salary by state
The average front end loader operator salary in Alaska, North Dakota, and Colorado are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average front end loader operator salary states are Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for front end loader operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $47,058 | $22.62 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $38,922 | $18.71 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $43,328 | $20.83 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $39,705 | $19.09 |
| 5 | Colorado | $42,440 | $20.40 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $39,764 | $19.12 |
| 7 | Montana | $37,722 | $18.14 |
| 8 | Iowa | $38,410 | $18.47 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $39,966 | $19.21 |
| 10 | Idaho | $39,493 | $18.99 |
| 11 | Maine | $37,442 | $18.00 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $39,316 | $18.90 |
| 13 | Nevada | $38,231 | $18.38 |
| 14 | Utah | $37,017 | $17.80 |
| 15 | California | $41,185 | $19.80 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $37,907 | $18.22 |
| 17 | Oregon | $39,795 | $19.13 |
| 18 | New York | $41,638 | $20.02 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $38,572 | $18.54 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $38,251 | $18.39 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $36,119 | $17.36 |
| 22 | Virginia | $38,490 | $18.50 |
| 23 | Ohio | $33,638 | $16.17 |
| 24 | Indiana | $32,934 | $15.83 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $35,682 | $17.15 |
| 26 | Arizona | $35,031 | $16.84 |
| 27 | Kansas | $33,338 | $16.03 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $37,270 | $17.92 |
| 29 | Maryland | $37,794 | $18.17 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $36,844 | $17.71 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $30,568 | $14.70 |
| 32 | Washington | $36,516 | $17.56 |
| 33 | Illinois | $34,261 | $16.47 |
| 34 | Vermont | $34,518 | $16.60 |
| 35 | Delaware | $34,563 | $16.62 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $30,812 | $14.81 |
| 37 | Michigan | $32,955 | $15.84 |
| 38 | Florida | $31,137 | $14.97 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $33,776 | $16.24 |
| 40 | Missouri | $32,282 | $15.52 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $30,135 | $14.49 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $29,716 | $14.29 |
| 43 | Texas | $31,513 | $15.15 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $31,322 | $15.06 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $29,461 | $14.16 |
| 46 | Georgia | $29,036 | $13.96 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $29,893 | $14.37 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $29,187 | $14.03 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $27,992 | $13.46 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $26,984 | $12.97 |
| 51 | Alabama | $27,667 | $13.30 |
Highest paying cities for front end loader operators
The highest-paying cities for front end loader operators are Clifton Park, NY, Redding, CA, and Thornton, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clifton Park, NY | $43,693 | $21.01 |
| 2 | Redding, CA | $42,806 | $20.58 |
| 3 | Thornton, CO | $42,624 | $20.49 |
| 4 | Saint Paul, MN | $38,579 | $18.55 |
| 5 | Richmond, VA | $38,347 | $18.44 |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | $37,952 | $18.25 |
| 7 | Longview, WA | $36,565 | $17.58 |
| 8 | Rochester, NH | $35,679 | $17.15 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $32,560 | $15.65 |
| 10 | Coppell, TX | $31,601 | $15.19 |
| 11 | Easton, PA | $31,541 | $15.16 |
| 12 | Jacksonville, FL | $31,478 | $15.13 |
| 13 | Rocky Mount, NC | $30,295 | $14.56 |
| 14 | Charleston, SC | $29,878 | $14.36 |
| 15 | Savannah, GA | $28,580 | $13.74 |
| 16 | Dothan, AL | $27,297 | $13.12 |
| 17 | Franklin, TN | $27,026 | $12.99 |
Front end loader operator salary details
A front end loader operator's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a front end loader operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| Average | $34,530 | $2,878 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying front end loader operator jobs
The highest paying types of front end loader operators are crane operator, dock worker/forklift operator, and mechanical spreader operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forklift Driver | $33,476 | $2,790 | $16.09 | 116,516 |
| Loader | $32,820 | $2,735 | $15.78 | 40,008 |
| Equipment Operator/Labour | $33,959 | $2,830 | $16.33 | 60,770 |
| Mill Operator | $39,045 | $3,254 | $18.77 | 64,574 |
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
| Material Handler/Forklift Operator | $36,453 | $3,038 | $17.53 | 168,379 |
Top companies hiring front end loader operators now:
Which companies pay front end loader operators the most?
Front end loader operator salaries at Ball and Martin Marietta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average front end loader operator salary at companies like National General Insurance and MDU Resources are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball | $45,594 | $21.92 |
| 2 | Martin Marietta | $44,634 | $21.46 |
| 3 | National General Insurance | $43,026 | $20.69 |
| 4 | MDU Resources | $42,789 | $20.57 |
| 5 | West Fraser | $41,440 | $19.92 |
| 6 | C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. | $41,341 | $19.88 |
| 7 | Adams Construction | $41,186 | $19.80 |
| 8 | Oil-Dri Corporation of America | $41,079 | $19.75 |
| 9 | Eutaw Construction | $40,674 | $19.55 |
| 10 | Oldcastle Infrastructure | $40,514 | $19.48 |
| 11 | Waste Connections | $40,179 | $19.32 |
| 12 | Barnhill Contracting | $39,631 | $19.05 |
| 13 | Hemphill Services, Inc. | $38,774 | $18.64 |
| 14 | S.T. Wooten | $38,099 | $18.32 |
| 15 | Pacific Coast Building Products | $37,648 | $18.10 |
| 16 | Arcosa | $35,127 | $16.89 |
| 17 | GROWMARK | $35,105 | $16.88 |
| 18 | Strategic Materials | $34,965 | $16.81 |
| 19 | LKQ | $34,797 | $16.73 |
| 20 | Shamrock Environmental | $34,597 | $16.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Front End Loader Operator salary by industry
The average front end loader operator salary varies across industries:
- The average front end loader operator salary in the manufacturing industry is $39,863, the highest of any industry.
- The average front end loader operator salary in the finance industry is $39,185.
- Front end loader operators in the retail industry earn an average salary of $31,016, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for front end loader operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $39,863 | $19.16 |
| 2 | Construction | $39,185 | $18.84 |
| 3 | Energy | $37,665 | $18.11 |
| 4 | Agriculture | $34,189 | $16.44 |
| 5 | Retail | $31,016 | $14.91 |
High paying front end loader operator jobs
Front end loader operator salary trends
The average front end loader operator salary has risen by $6,941 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average front end loader operator earned $27,589 annually, but today, they earn $34,530 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for front end loader operators over the last decade.
Compare front end loader operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average front end loader operator salary over time
Compare front end loader operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Front end loader operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $34,500 | $16.60 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $33,300 | $16.00 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $31,900 | $15.36 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $30,900 | $14.86 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $29,800 | $14.35 | +1.1% |
Recently added front end loader operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watco Companies, Inc. | Front End Loader/Heavy Equipment Operator-Port | Port Arthur, TX | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
| Rush Personnel Services, Inc. | Front End Loader/Bobcat Operator (Mid-Level) | Biggs, CA | 06/27/2025 | $41,740 |
| Siteone Landscape Supply, Inc. | Front-End Loader | Parker, CO | 06/18/2025 | $43,827 |
| Road & Rail Services | Front End Loader Operator | Mulberry, FL | 06/11/2025 | $43,827 |
| Peopleready | Front End Loader Operator | Palmetto, FL | 06/10/2025 | $48,001 |
| Groome Industrial Service Group | Front-End Loader Operator | Fairless Hills, PA | 06/09/2025 | $41,740 |
| CRH | Front End Loader Operator | Nome, TX | 06/07/2025 | $48,001 |
| Heidelberg Materials Us, Inc. | 097082-Front End Loader OPR Pit | Grayson, KY | 06/03/2025 | $41,740 |
| Groome Industrial Service Group | Front-End Loader Operator | Fairless Hills, PA | 05/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Cox Holdings, Inc. | Front End Loader Operator II | Atlanta, GA | 05/27/2025 | $44,850 |
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