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The average salary for a Heavy Equipment Technician is approximately $43,601 annually, which translates to about $21 per hour. Salaries vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry of employment.
In states like Alaska and Washington, technicians can earn significantly higher wages, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in those regions. For example, experienced technicians in urban areas often command salaries that exceed the national average, particularly in cities with booming construction sectors.
Experience plays a crucial role in salary growth. Entry-level technicians may start below the average, while those with several years of experience can see substantial increases. Additionally, specialized certifications can enhance earning potential.
Overall, the career of a Heavy Equipment Technician offers stability and competitive pay, making it a valuable option for job seekers interested in technical and mechanical work. Explore job listings on Zippia to find opportunities that match your skill set and career goals.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level heavy equipment technician | $38,100 | $18.33 |
| Mid-level heavy equipment technician | $45,400 | $21.82 |
| Senior-level heavy equipment technician | $49,600 | $23.87 |
The average heavy equipment technician salary in Massachusetts, Vermont, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average heavy equipment technician salary states are Mississippi, New Mexico, and Florida.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $57,341 | $27.57 |
| 2 | Alaska | $54,912 | $26.40 |
| 3 | Montana | $45,931 | $22.08 |
| 4 | Illinois | $53,096 | $25.53 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $56,060 | $26.95 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $58,632 | $28.19 |
| 7 | Arizona | $46,178 | $22.20 |
| 8 | Indiana | $43,793 | $21.05 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $48,198 | $23.17 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $47,893 | $23.03 |
| 11 | Nevada | $45,868 | $22.05 |
| 12 | Washington | $49,618 | $23.85 |
| 13 | California | $56,238 | $27.04 |
| 14 | Delaware | $46,519 | $22.36 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $47,315 | $22.75 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $42,326 | $20.35 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $50,426 | $24.24 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $43,311 | $20.82 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $45,332 | $21.79 |
| 20 | Kansas | $43,412 | $20.87 |
| 21 | Missouri | $45,565 | $21.91 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $42,537 | $20.45 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $43,541 | $20.93 |
| 24 | Maryland | $46,907 | $22.55 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $42,172 | $20.27 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $43,934 | $21.12 |
| 27 | Alabama | $42,155 | $20.27 |
| 28 | Texas | $42,890 | $20.62 |
| 29 | Utah | $42,284 | $20.33 |
| 30 | Colorado | $42,909 | $20.63 |
| 31 | Virginia | $45,546 | $21.90 |
| 32 | Michigan | $42,804 | $20.58 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $42,005 | $20.19 |
| 34 | Oregon | $43,001 | $20.67 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $42,758 | $20.56 |
| 36 | Iowa | $38,736 | $18.62 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | $46,670 | $22.44 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $46,848 | $22.52 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $38,308 | $18.42 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $37,454 | $18.01 |
| 41 | Georgia | $38,451 | $18.49 |
| 42 | Idaho | $38,294 | $18.41 |
| 43 | Ohio | $39,862 | $19.16 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $39,609 | $19.04 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $41,514 | $19.96 |
| 46 | Florida | $37,279 | $17.92 |
| 47 | Maine | $35,679 | $17.15 |
| 48 | New York | $42,050 | $20.22 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $35,483 | $17.06 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $37,162 | $17.87 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $37,446 | $18.00 |
The highest-paying cities for heavy equipment technicians are Santa Rosa, CA, Saint Paul, MN, and Chicago, IL.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $59,982 | $28.84 |
| 2 | Saint Paul, MN | $56,084 | $26.96 |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | $53,411 | $25.68 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $46,311 | $22.26 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO | $45,616 | $21.93 |
| 6 | Fort Wayne, IN | $45,246 | $21.75 |
| 7 | El Paso, TX | $44,946 | $21.61 |
| 8 | Rock Hill, SC | $44,041 | $21.17 |
| 9 | Grand Junction, CO | $43,720 | $21.02 |
| 10 | Manhattan, KS | $43,573 | $20.95 |
| 11 | Georgetown, KY | $42,670 | $20.51 |
| 12 | Menomonee Falls, WI | $42,569 | $20.47 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City, UT | $42,373 | $20.37 |
| 14 | Syracuse, NY | $42,071 | $20.23 |
| 15 | Baton Rouge, LA | $41,909 | $20.15 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | $39,934 | $19.20 |
| 17 | Lawrenceville, GA | $38,726 | $18.62 |
| 18 | Knoxville, TN | $38,506 | $18.51 |
| 19 | Jacksonville, FL | $38,437 | $18.48 |
| 20 | Des Moines, IA | $38,427 | $18.47 |
A heavy equipment technician's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $59,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 75th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| Average | $43,601 | $3,633 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
The highest paying types of heavy equipment technicians are mobile equipment mechanic, heavy equipment mechanic, and shop mechanic.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanic Helper | $31,892 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 48,546 |
| Automotive Mechanic | $42,864 | $3,572 | $20.61 | 95,703 |
| Shop Mechanic | $47,377 | $3,948 | $22.78 | 100,379 |
| Auto Mechanic | $41,683 | $3,474 | $20.04 | 95,553 |
| Trailer Mechanic | $42,569 | $3,547 | $20.47 | 86,057 |
| Light Wheel Mechanic | $41,948 | $3,496 | $20.17 | 90,297 |
Top companies hiring heavy equipment technicians now:
Heavy equipment technician salaries at Ascendum and Black & Veatch are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average heavy equipment technician salary at companies like Mars and Canadian Pacific Railway are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ascendum | $58,968 | $28.35 |
| 2 | Black & Veatch | $58,885 | $28.31 |
| 3 | Mars | $58,319 | $28.04 |
| 4 | Canadian Pacific Railway | $57,583 | $27.68 |
| 5 | Hunter Contracting | $55,836 | $26.84 |
| 6 | Phillips and Jordan | $53,876 | $25.90 |
| 7 | Brubacher | $53,867 | $25.90 |
| 8 | Zachry Construction | $53,796 | $25.86 |
| 9 | Southwest Construction Services | $53,631 | $25.78 |
| 10 | Rummel Construction | $53,573 | $25.76 |
| 11 | Dondlinger Construction | $53,536 | $25.74 |
| 12 | Curtis Contracting | $53,315 | $25.63 |
| 13 | Rifenburg Construction | $53,107 | $25.53 |
| 14 | Eutaw Construction | $52,983 | $25.47 |
| 15 | Medical Billing | $52,413 | $25.20 |
| 16 | Oldcastle Infrastructure | $52,028 | $25.01 |
| 17 | Republic Services | $51,920 | $24.96 |
| 18 | FANN Contracting | $50,669 | $24.36 |
| 19 | Waste Connections | $50,383 | $24.22 |
| 20 | U.S. Silica | $49,570 | $23.83 |
The average heavy equipment technician salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $51,356 | $24.69 |
| 2 | Finance | $50,329 | $24.20 |
| 3 | Construction | $47,395 | $22.79 |
| 4 | Start-up | $47,094 | $22.64 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $46,949 | $22.57 |
The average heavy equipment technician salary has risen by $7,680 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average heavy equipment technician earned $35,921 annually, but today, they earn $43,601 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for heavy equipment technicians over the last decade.
Compare heavy equipment technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare heavy equipment technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $43,600 | $20.96 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $42,000 | $20.21 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $40,900 | $19.66 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $40,100 | $19.26 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $38,900 | $18.70 | +1.2% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W M Holdings Inc. | Industrial Heavy Equipment Technician | Hutto, TX | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Waste Management | Industrial Heavy Equipment Technician | Hutto, TX | 06/28/2025 | $52,175 |
| Wagner International LLC | Heavy Equipment Diesel Technician | Hobbs, NM | 06/28/2025 | $62,610 |
| Wagner International LLC | Experienced Heavy Equipment Diesel Technician | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/28/2025 | $62,610 |
| Equipmentshare | Heavy Equipment Technician (Mechanic) Apprentice | Niagara Falls, NY | 06/28/2025 | $33,392 |
| Earn Up To $3, 000 Sign-On Bonus | Experienced Heavy Equipment Diesel Technician | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/28/2025 | $62,610 |
| Earn Up To $3, 000 Sign-On Bonus | Heavy Equipment Diesel Technician | Hobbs, NM | 06/28/2025 | $62,610 |
| Department of Transportation | Heavy Equipment OPR | Medford, OR | 06/27/2025 | $40,600 |
| West Side Tractor Sales | Heavy Equipment Technician | South Holland, IL | 06/27/2025 | $50,088 |
| Equipmentshare | Heavy Equipment Shop Technician (Mechanic) | Bakersfield, CA | 06/27/2025 | $34,436 |
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