SOC 47-2073 · Cedar Rapids, IA metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Cedar Rapids, IA

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is $65,400 a year ($31.44 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $63,310: half of the 490 people in this job in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$65,400average per year

$31.44 / hourMedian $63,310Take-home ≈ $52,856

  • $49K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $87K90th

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

490people in this job
-1%vs U.S. average
#4 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Cedar Rapids

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,430 a year or less, while the top 10% make $86,720 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Cedar Rapids earn between $58,240 and $73,420.

  • $49K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $87K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$65,400$5,450$31.44
Median$63,310$5,276$30.44
Entry level (25th percentile)$58,240$4,853$28.00
Experienced (75th percentile)$73,420$6,118$35.30

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

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Cedar Rapids vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Cedar Rapids earn about the same as the Iowa average ($63,770) and about the same as the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is +6% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cedar Rapids$65,400$63,310$49,430$86,720490
Iowa$63,770$60,330$46,690$87,4605,530
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 Cedar Rapids

On the average salary of $65,400, a single filer in Cedar Rapids takes home about $52,856 a year, or $4,405 a month and $2,033 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Cedar Rapids area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.0), so the average $65,400 buys what about $73,514 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Cedar Rapids ($49,360). A typical home costs $244,344, or 3.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $65,400 is worth in another city

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

Cedar Rapids ranks 4th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Waterloo pays the most ($82,640).

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Iowa

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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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in Cedar Rapids: questions

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

$31.44 an hour on average, and $30.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,430 a year and the 25th percentile is $58,240, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $52,856 a year ($4,405 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $65,400. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Cedar Rapids, IA (16300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • 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 (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.15, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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