Heavy Equipment Operator III Salary in the United States
How much does a Heavy Equipment Operator III make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Heavy Equipment Operator III in the United States is $58,440 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.
However, a Heavy Equipment Operator III's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $70,611
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,422 to $64,811
Key Factors That Influence Heavy Equipment Operator III Salaries
A Heavy Equipment Operator III's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Heavy Equipment Operator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Heavy Equipment Operator III's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Heavy Equipment Operator I (0-1 years): $45,277
Heavy Equipment Operator II (1-3 years): $51,089
Heavy Equipment Operator III (3-5 years): $58,440
Heavy Equipment Operator IV (5-7 years): $77,468
Job Role
Years of Experience
Average Salary
Heavy Equipment Operator I
0-1 years
$45,277
Heavy Equipment Operator II
1-3 years
$51,089
Heavy Equipment Operator III
3-5 years
$58,440
Heavy Equipment Operator IV
5-7 years
$77,468
$45,277Heavy Equ...
$51,089Heavy Equ...
$58,440Heavy Equ...
$77,468Heavy Equ...
View as Table
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Heavy Equipment Operator III Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Heavy Equipment Operator IIIs.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Top Paying Cities for Heavy Equipment Operator IIIs
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $73,710
San Francisco: $72,903
Oakland: $71,367
San Jose, CA$73,710
San Francisco, CA$72,903
Oakland, CA$71,367
New York, NY$67,287
Paramus, NJ$66,469
Queens Village, NY$66,466
Passaic, NJ$66,411
Bergenfield, NJ$66,405
Stamford, CT$66,277
Huntington, NY$66,253
Newark, NJ$65,821
Bridgeport, CT$65,698
Vallejo, CA$65,581
New Brunswick, NJ$65,558
Petaluma, CA$65,523
Middlesex, NJ$65,412
Somerset, NJ$65,371
Santa Cruz, CA$65,295
Boston, MA$64,939
Monterey, CA$64,733
Seattle, WA$64,600
Santa Rosa, CA$64,588
Los Angeles, CA$64,570
Juneau, AK$64,418
Washington, DC$64,354
Orange, CA$64,146
Santa Ana, CA$63,992
Long Beach, CA$63,933
Anaheim, CA$63,922
Anchorage, AK$63,892
Santa Maria, CA$63,717
Everett, WA$63,705
Danbury, CT$63,500
Bremerton, WA$63,419
Tacoma, WA$63,209
New Suffolk, NY$63,208
Sacramento, CA$63,191
Santa Barbara, CA$63,127
Trenton, NJ$63,063
San Diego, CA$63,063
Brockton, MA$62,998
Fairbanks, AK$62,855
Lompoc, CA$62,706
Lowell, MA$62,659
Ventura, CA$62,648
Nashua, NH$62,636
Stockton, CA$62,630
Modesto, CA$62,204
Poughkeepsie, NY$62,075
Olympia, WA$61,964
Kennewick, WA$61,964
New Haven, CT$61,941
Lawrence, MA$61,730
Hartford, CT$61,672
Riverside, CA$61,660
New Bedford, MA$61,602
Richland, WA$61,602
Bakersfield, CA$61,520
San Bernardino, CA$61,496
New Britain, CT$61,491
Atlantic City, NJ$61,491
New London, CT$61,467
Norwich, CT$61,450
Portsmouth, NH$61,438
Boulder, CO$61,314
Portland, OR$61,233
Worcester, MA$61,228
Minneapolis, MN$61,046
Philadelphia, PA$60,965
Honolulu, HI$60,772
Saint Paul, MN$60,744
Vineland, NJ$60,731
Providence, RI$60,561
Chicago, IL$60,392
Bellingham, WA$60,322
Springfield, MA$60,275
Baltimore, MD$60,257
Chico, CA$60,111
Pittsfield, MA$59,954
Manchester, NH$59,843
Spokane, WA$59,585
Denver, CO$59,580
Albany, NY$59,305
Troy, NY$59,282
Nassau, NY$59,219
Schenectady, NY$59,159
Wilmington, DE$59,112
Burlington, VT$59,030
Salem, OR$59,007
Portland, ME$58,826
Yakima, WA$58,767
Rochester, MN$58,586
Reno, NV$58,557
Fresno, CA$58,557
Milwaukee, WI$58,504
Detroit, MI$58,446
Ann Arbor, MI$58,436
Allentown, PA$58,428
Colorado Springs, CO$58,329
Syracuse, NY$58,300
Carson City, NV$58,300
Houston, TX$58,218
Eugene, OR$58,189
Gary, IN$58,119
Springfield, OR$58,072
Bismarck, ND$58,060
Galveston, TX$58,019
Medford, OR$57,932
Fort Collins, CO$57,908
Concord, NH$57,879
Austin, TX$57,861
Mesa, AZ$57,739
Reading, PA$57,733
Phoenix, AZ$57,727
Dallas, TX$57,710
Saint Cloud, MN$57,653
Madison, WI$57,575
Utica, NY$57,417
Rochester, NY$57,324
Des Moines, IA$57,318
Raleigh, NC$57,312
Atlanta, GA$57,224
Battle Creek, MI$57,207
Salt Lake City, UT$57,189
Lancaster, PA$57,102
Harrisburg, PA$57,020
Kansas City, MO$56,961
Champaign, IL$56,950
Kansas City, KS$56,950
Fort Worth, TX$56,944
Columbus, OH$56,934
Boca Raton, FL$56,921
Pittsburgh, PA$56,897
Richmond, VA$56,874
Indianapolis, IN$56,862
Cleveland, OH$56,856
Las Vegas, NV$56,786
Cincinnati, OH$56,786
Petersburg, VA$56,698
Huntsville, AL$56,611
Lansing, MI$56,572
Lebanon, PA$56,564
Pueblo, CO$56,558
Appleton, WI$56,541
Buffalo, NY$56,517
Dayton, OH$56,500
Racine, WI$56,488
Charlotte, NC$56,482
Saint Louis, MO$56,465
York, PA$56,430
Elkhart, IN$56,430
Gastonia, NC$56,419
Billings, MT$56,405
Beaumont, TX$56,389
Lorain, OH$56,377
Benton Harbor, MI$56,365
Toledo, OH$56,354
Binghamton, NY$56,324
Rock Hill, SC$56,319
Rockford, IL$56,289
Springfield, IL$56,266
Elyria, OH$56,260
Fargo, ND$56,260
Flagstaff, AZ$56,219
Fort Lauderdale, FL$56,184
Duluth, MN$56,149
Miami, FL$56,149
Cheyenne, WY$56,108
Grand Forks, ND$56,108
Bangor, ME$55,980
Cedar Rapids, IA$55,915
Durham, NC$55,891
Louisville, KY$55,886
Grand Rapids, MI$55,874
Hialeah, FL$55,869
Casper, WY$55,787
Scranton, PA$55,717
New Orleans, LA$55,699
Virginia Beach, VA$55,693
Akron, OH$55,664
Peoria, IL$55,588
Sarasota, FL$55,576
Nashville, TN$55,536
Omaha, NE$55,536
Green Bay, WI$55,536
Baton Rouge, LA$55,506
Charleston, SC$55,495
Jamestown, NY$55,465
Davenport, IA$55,465
Tucson, AZ$55,436
Saint Petersburg, FL$55,401
Tampa, FL$55,389
Evansville, IN$55,354
Port Arthur, TX$55,354
Bradenton, FL$55,331
Santa Fe, NM$55,226
Orlando, FL$55,121
Clearwater, FL$55,103
Canton, OH$54,980
La Crosse, WI$54,980
Albuquerque, NM$54,945
Newport News, VA$54,939
High Point, NC$54,922
Ogden, UT$54,899
Corpus Christi, TX$54,852
Norfolk, VA$54,817
Laramie, WY$54,817
Rock Island, IL$54,782
Saginaw, MI$54,770
Jacksonville, FL$54,764
Salisbury, NC$54,752
Boise, ID$54,741
Moline, IL$54,712
Fort Myers, FL$54,694
Memphis, TN$54,682
Tulsa, OK$54,653
Waterloo, IA$54,618
Spartanburg, SC$54,560
Lincoln, NE$54,530
Fort Wayne, IN$54,519
Provo, UT$54,513
Cedar Falls, IA$54,443
San Antonio, TX$54,419
Greensboro, NC$54,396
South Bend, IN$54,390
Savannah, GA$54,326
Muskegon, MI$54,302
Birmingham, AL$54,297
Winston Salem, NC$54,268
Lake Charles, LA$54,127
Anderson, IN$54,115
Lexington, KY$54,098
Augusta, GA$54,080
Greenville, SC$54,080
Lima, OH$54,034
Wichita, KS$54,028
Tuscaloosa, AL$54,028
Columbia, SC$53,975
Springfield, OH$53,963
Asheville, NC$53,870
Bloomington, IN$53,829
Knoxville, TN$53,619
Shreveport, LA$53,613
Wilmington, NC$53,537
Roanoke, VA$53,537
Topeka, KS$53,432
Frankfort, KY$53,425
Oklahoma City, OK$53,385
Chillicothe, OH$53,362
Longview, TX$53,356
Melbourne, FL$53,350
Sioux Falls, SD$53,256
Mobile, AL$53,251
Terre Haute, IN$53,227
Altoona, PA$53,192
Amarillo, TX$53,151
Killeen, TX$53,134
Fayetteville, AR$53,087
Chattanooga, TN$53,069
Sioux City, IA$53,017
Idaho Falls, ID$53,005
Lynchburg, VA$52,958
Gainesville, FL$52,882
Portsmouth, OH$52,853
Little Rock, AR$52,841
Lafayette, LA$52,818
Youngstown, OH$52,818
Daytona Beach, FL$52,783
Clarksville, TN$52,777
Pensacola, FL$52,771
Temple, TX$52,767
Hopkinsville, KY$52,596
Erie, PA$52,584
Florence, SC$52,561
Charleston, WV$52,467
Great Falls, MT$52,438
Macon, GA$52,356
Tallahassee, FL$52,351
Fayetteville, NC$52,339
Waco, TX$52,327
Helena, MT$52,286
Pine Bluff, AR$52,264
Vincennes, IN$52,193
Lubbock, TX$52,169
Alamogordo, NM$52,134
Twin Falls, ID$52,082
Rapid City, SD$52,064
Jackson, MS$51,959
Huntington, WV$51,955
Greenville, MS$51,953
Parkersburg, WV$51,894
Montgomery, AL$51,883
Wichita Falls, TX$51,825
Springfield, MO$51,825
Biloxi, MS$51,795
Monroe, LA$51,737
Johnstown, PA$51,696
Sumter, SC$51,673
Columbus, GA$51,667
Pascagoula, MS$51,556
Abilene, TX$51,556
Kingsport, TN$51,404
Albany, GA$51,404
Gulfport, MS$51,386
Alexandria, LA$51,193
Fort Smith, AR$51,047
El Paso, TX$50,890
Las Cruces, NM$50,627
Harlingen, TX$50,478
Pocatello, ID$50,469
Florence, AL$50,393
Brownsville, TX$50,381
Mcallen, TX$50,258
Dothan, AL$50,177
Columbus, MS$49,829
Altus, OK$49,557
Lawton, OK$49,446
Pierre, SD$49,236
Heavy Equipment Operator III Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Heavy Equipment Operator III salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $65,365.
While startup companies pay approximate $55,279.
Heavy Equipment Operator III Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$55,279
Growth Stage
51~500
$58,466
Established
501~5000
$63,122
Enterprise
5000+
$65,365
Heavy Equipment Operator III Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Heavy Equipment Operator III roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 95% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Heavy Equipment Operator positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Heavy Equipment Operator III as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Heavy Equipment Operator III
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$81,816
$39.0
40%
Biotechnology
$78,894
$38.0
35%
Software & Networking
$75,972
$37.0
30%
Aerospace & Defense
$73,050
$35.0
25%
Energy & Utilities
$70,128
$34.0
20%
Heavy Equipment Operator III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Heavy Equipment Operator III's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$52,422
Average$58,440/year
$64,811
$4,369
Average$4,870/month
$5,401
$1,008
Average$1,124/week
$1,246
$25
Average$28/hour
$31
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$64,811
$5,401
$1,246
$31
Average
$58,440
$4,870
$1,124
$28
25th Percentile
$52,422
$4,369
$1,008
$25
Heavy Equipment Operator III Salary Growth & Career Path
For a Heavy Equipment Operator III, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Heavy Equipment Operator IV role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$77,468 - a projected growth of
33%
over your current level.
Salaries of jobs related to Heavy Equipment Operator III
Salaries for a Heavy Equipment Operator III can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,992 in 2023
to around $54,329 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Heavy Equipment Operator III salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Heavy Equipment Operator III Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$54,992
2024
$54,962
2025
$54,329
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,992
2024
$54,962
2025
$54,329
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Heavy Equipment Operator III
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Heavy Equipment Operator III
Here are companies hiring for Heavy Equipment Operator III and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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FAQ about Heavy Equipment Operator III
1. Where can a Heavy Equipment Operator III earn the most?
A Heavy Equipment Operator III's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer.
According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Heavy Equipment Operator III earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Heavy Equipment Operator III is $73,710.
2. What is the highest pay for Heavy Equipment Operator III?
The highest pay for Heavy Equipment Operator III is $70,611.
3. What is the lowest pay for Heavy Equipment Operator III?
The lowest pay for Heavy Equipment Operator III is $46,943.
4. What are the responsibilities of Heavy Equipment Operator III?
Operates heavy equipment or machinery, such as a tractor, bulldozer, backhoe, or excavator, for the purposes of construction, demolition, or excavation. Prepares equipment and conducts routine inspections prior to operation to ensure it is safe and in working condition. Identifies and addresses potential hazards and adheres to all safety protocols and regulations. May be responsible for scheduling minor repairs and conducting routine maintenance like cleaning and lubricating. Requires a high school diploma. May require State License. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works independently within established procedures associated with the specific job function. Has gained proficiency in multiple competencies relevant to the job. Typically requires 3-5 years of related experience.
5. What industry pays the highest salary for Heavy Equipment Operator III?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Heavy Equipment Operator III roles,
with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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