SOC 47-2073 · Lawrence, KS metro

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary in Lawrence, KS

The average salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Lawrence, Kansas is $63,690 a year ($30.62 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $60,080: half of the 120 people in this job in the Lawrence, KS metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,290).

$63,690average per year

$30.62 / hourMedian $60,080Take-home ≈ $50,601

  • $42K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $75K75th
  • $93K90th

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

120people in this job
-4%vs U.S. average
#1 of 4Kansas metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay range in Lawrence

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,870 a year or less, while the top 10% make $92,860 or more. The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Lawrence earn between $50,610 and $74,830.

  • $42K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $75K75th
  • $93K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$63,690$5,308$30.62
Median$60,080$5,007$28.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$50,610$4,218$24.33
Experienced (75th percentile)$74,830$6,236$35.98

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

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay in Lawrence vs. Kansas and the U.S.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Lawrence earn 11% more than the Kansas average ($57,540) and 4% less than the U.S. average ($66,290). At the median the gap is +0% against the U.S. median of $59,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Lawrence$63,690$60,080$41,870$92,860120
Kansas$57,540$51,620$39,520$85,4207,070
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 Lawrence

On the average salary of $63,690, a single filer in Lawrence takes home about $50,601 a year, or $4,217 a month and $1,946 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Kansas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Lawrence area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.2), so the average $63,690 buys what about $70,576 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Lawrence ($47,390). A typical home costs $340,687, or 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $63,690 is worth in another city

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

Lawrence ranks 1st of 4 Kansas metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salaries in Kansas

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 Lawrence: questions

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

$30.62 an hour on average, and $28.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,870 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,610, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $50,601 a year ($4,217 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $63,690.

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

The average here is 4% 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 Lawrence, KS (29940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.78, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.78).

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