SOC 47-2073 · Abilene, TX metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Abilene, TX

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Abilene, Texas is $51,290 a year ($24.66 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,500: half of the 230 people in this job in the Abilene, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 23% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$51,290average per year

$24.66 / hourMedian $49,500Take-home ≈ $43,392

  • $37K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $62K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

230people in this job
-23%vs U.S. average
#13 of 26Texas metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Abilene

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,400 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Abilene earn between $43,830 and $59,790.

  • $37K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $62K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$51,290$4,274$24.66
Median$49,500$4,125$23.80
Entry level (25th percentile)$43,830$3,652$21.07
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,790$4,982$28.75

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Abilene vs. Texas and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Abilene earn 5% less than the Texas average ($53,740) and 23% less than the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is -17% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Abilene$51,290$49,500$36,920$62,400230
Texas$53,740$50,460$38,900$70,01055,540
United States$66,290$59,850$42,190$101,090478,090

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Abilene

On the average salary of $51,290, a single filer in Abilene takes home about $43,392 a year, or $3,616 a month and $1,669 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Abilene a good place for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Abilene area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.4), so the average $51,290 buys what about $56,759 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Abilene ($44,340). A typical home costs $217,009, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $51,290 is worth in another city

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in other Texas cities

Abilene ranks 13th of 26 Texas metro areas for this job; Midland pays the most ($58,070).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Texas

Highest-paying cities for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($111,400).

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Abilene, TX.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in Abilene: questions

How much do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make an hour in Abilene?

$24.66 an hour on average, and $23.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary in Abilene?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $43,830, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the operating engineers and other construction equipment operators take-home pay in Abilene?

About $43,392 a year ($3,616 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,290. Texas has no state income tax.

Do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators earn more in Abilene than elsewhere?

The average here is 23% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-2073; area Abilene, TX (10180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.00, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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