SOC 45-2091 · El Centro, CA metro

Agricultural Equipment Operators Salary in El Centro, CA

The average salary for agricultural equipment operators in El Centro, California is $42,510 a year ($20.44 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,200: half of the 260 people in this job in the El Centro, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($43,710).

$42,510average per year

$20.44 / hourMedian $37,200Take-home ≈ $35,501

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $53K90th

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

260people in this job
-3%vs U.S. average
#6 of 17California metros
95cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Agricultural Equipment Operators pay range in El Centro

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $53,240 or more. The middle half of agricultural equipment operators in El Centro earn between $36,520 and $43,520.

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $53K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$42,510$3,542$20.44
Median$37,200$3,100$17.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,520$3,043$17.56
Experienced (75th percentile)$43,520$3,627$20.92

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

Agricultural Equipment Operators pay in El Centro vs. California and the U.S.

Agricultural equipment operators in El Centro earn about the same as the California average ($42,730) and about the same as the U.S. average ($43,710). At the median the gap is -11% against the U.S. median of $41,730.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
El Centro$42,510$37,200$35,460$53,240260
California$42,730$38,820$35,620$54,5807,940
United States$43,710$41,730$33,500$58,65028,500

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

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary after taxes in El Centro

On the average salary of $42,510, a single filer in El Centro takes home about $35,501 a year, or $2,958 a month and $1,365 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is El Centro a good place for agricultural equipment operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the El Centro area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.2), so the average $42,510 buys what about $44,666 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in El Centro ($45,140). A typical home costs $379,330, or 8.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $42,510 is worth in another city

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary in other California cities

El Centro ranks 6th of 17 California metro areas for this job; Sacramento pays the most ($47,520).

All Agricultural Equipment Operators salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for agricultural equipment operators

Cincinnati, OH pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,160).

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Agricultural Equipment Operators in El Centro, CA.

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary in El Centro: questions

How much do agricultural equipment operators make an hour in El Centro?

$20.44 an hour on average, and $17.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level agricultural equipment operators salary in El Centro?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,520, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the agricultural equipment operators take-home pay in El Centro?

About $35,501 a year ($2,958 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,510. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do agricultural equipment operators earn more in El Centro than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($43,710).

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 45-2091; area El Centro, CA (20940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • 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 state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 21.84, this job is 21.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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