Equipment Operator Salary in California

$42/hr

Read California operator wage ranges alongside machine duties, paid preparation time and the terms of public works assignments.

Change trade or state

What Equipment Operators Earn in California

California employee wages span $25.37–$63.56/hr, or $52,760–$132,210 a year, for this construction equipment occupation. The figures exclude premium pay and benefits. Match an offer to the machines, attachments and duties involved. The experience headings organize wage comparisons. They do not set apprenticeship wage steps or award a licence after a stated number of years. For an excavator or loader opening, ask which operating duties and preparation the quoted wage covers.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$25.37–$31.36/hr
▼ 2.22% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$31.36–$60.37/hr
▼ 2.22% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$60.37–$63.56/hr
▼ 2.22% from last year

Find Equipment Operator jobs in California.

Browse open jobs

Where do you stand?

Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other equipment operators in California.

What are you making?

Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.

$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Equipment Operator
California · Day Shift
Base rate$45.86
+ IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$6.73
+ 40-Hour HAZWOPER$2.00
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.46
Effective hourly$55.05
Straight · 40 hrs$2,202
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$661
Weekly gross$2,863
Annualised · 50 weeks
$143,143
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

Road, utility and building contractors offer different operating assignments. These national industry figures give context for California offers across those settings and assignments.

01 / 03$34.26/hr

Highway and Bridge Construction

Road earthmoving puts operators alongside haul traffic and construction crews. Ask how closure schedules affect shifts, travel and paid preparation time. Include the reporting location when discussing the hours you would actually work.

+ Roadbuilding experience
+ Coordinated crews
– Traffic exposure
– Closure schedules
02 / 03$29.68/hr

Utility System Construction

Trenching and backfilling support water, sewer and other utility systems. Discuss underground-service coordination and how the employer schedules work around access. Ask who directs excavation near marked lines and when machine work must pause.

+ Utility experience
+ Excavation practice
– Buried services
– Restricted access
03 / 03$30.94/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Building sites need excavation and material movement around other trades. Review machine assignments, delivery sequences and the employer's expectations for inspection. Clarify whether the opening combines digging with loading and moving materials between staging areas.

+ Building experience
+ Varied tasks
– Congested sites
– Sequenced deliveries

Which states pay equipment operators the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$41.90/hr
  2. 02Virginia$27.48/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$6.73$13,998$00 weeks
40-Hour HAZWOPER+$2$4,160$2403 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$1.38$2,870$1593 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.46$957$594 weeks
Forklift / Rough-Terrain Forklift Operator (formal instruction)+$0.05$104$6030 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $41.90/hr.

40 hr week
$1,676
No OT
50 hr week
$2,305
+$31,425/yr
60 hr week
$2,933
+$62,850/yr
70 hr week
$3,562
+$94,275/yr

Questions workers ask

If the machine can't stop for lunch, am I owed extra pay?▾
Yes, if a compliant meal period isn't provided. Under Labor Code Section 226.7, as the Labor Commissioner explains, the employer owes one additional hour of pay at your regular rate for each workday it misses.
Should equipment inspections happen before paid time starts?▾
No. Required inspections and assigned preparation count as work under California's construction wage order. Record when those duties begin and finish. Discuss timekeeping for fueling and moving between assigned sites, so the recorded workday includes required tasks beyond operating the machine.
Will longer shifts increase my hourly rate?▾
No. Your base rate stays the same, but the Labor Commissioner's overtime rules generally require overtime pay after eight daily or 40 weekly hours. Qualifying schedules and collective agreements have exceptions. Request the applicable arrangement and distinguish ordinary hours from overtime when comparing weekly earnings across offers.

See Open Equipment Operator Jobs in California

Verified positions matching this trade and location.

See Open JobsBuild My Profile — Free

Current BLS California employee wages for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, SOC 47-2073; excludes premium pay, benefits and contractor charges.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.