As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Heavy Equipment Operator I in California is $49,924. According to Salary.com, salaries can range from a low of $42,827 to a high of $61,061, with most professionals earning between $46,209 and $55,753.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $55,753 | $4,646 | $1,072 | $27 |
| Average | $49,924 | $4,160 | $960 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,209 | $3,851 | $889 | $22 |
An entry-level Heavy Equipment Operator I with under 1 year experience makes about $49,647. With less than 2 years of experience, a mid-level Heavy Equipment Operator I makes around $50,533. After 2-4 years, the Heavy Equipment Operator I pay rises to about $51,403. Those senior Heavy Equipment Operator I with 5-8 years of experience earn roughly $51,664, and those Heavy Equipment Operator I having 8 years or more experience are expected to earn about $51,838 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Heavy Equipment Operator I | $49,647 |
| Intermediate Level Heavy Equipment Operator I | $50,533 |
| Senior Level Heavy Equipment Operator I | $51,403 |
| Specialist Level Heavy Equipment Operator I | $51,664 |
| Expert Level Heavy Equipment Operator I | $51,838 |
| Entry Level | 10% |
| Mid Level | 12% |
| Senior Level | 14% |
| Top Level | 14% |
| Experienced | 15% |
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Heavy Equipment Operator I salary varies from city to city. Compared with national average salary of Heavy Equipment Operator I, the highest Heavy Equipment Operator I salary is in San Francisco, CA, where the Heavy Equipment Operator I salary is 24.9% above. The lowest Heavy Equipment Operator I salary is in Miami, FL, where the Heavy Equipment Operator I salary is 3.9% lower than national average salary.
| City, State | Price | Compared to national average |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $56,528 |
24.9%
|
| Washington, DC | $50,114 |
10.7%
|
| Miami, FL | $43,488 |
|
| Chicago, IL | $46,774 |
3.3%
|
| Boston, MA | $50,481 |
11.5%
|
| New York, NY | $52,454 |
15.9%
|
