Average Salary for Agricultural Equipment Operators
SOC 45-2091 · Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Agricultural Equipment Operators in the United States is $42,580 ($20.47/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $31,240 at the 10th percentile to $57,790 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 30,940 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 58.2% since 2014.
Median Annual
$42,580
Mean Annual
$43,920
10th Pct
$31,240
75th Pct
$48,690
Employment
30,940
Salary Distribution
$31k
10th
$37k
25th
$43k
Median
$49k
75th
$58k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $54,020 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $53,510 |
| Columbus, OH | $52,370 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $51,200 |
| Rochester, NY | $50,960 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $50,460 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $50,170 |
| Dubuque, IA | $50,010 |
| Madison, WI | $49,430 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,160 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $48,880 |
| Napa, CA | $48,710 |
| Medford, OR | $48,630 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $48,560 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $48,440 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Montana | $53,900 |
| New York | $51,100 |
| Delaware | $50,450 |
| Ohio | $49,070 |
| Indiana | $48,930 |
| Iowa | $48,690 |
| Minnesota | $48,390 |
| North Dakota | $47,640 |
| Wisconsin | $47,520 |
| Maine | $47,500 |
| Illinois | $46,810 |
| New Jersey | $46,650 |
| Missouri | $46,610 |
| South Dakota | $45,890 |
| Virginia | $45,740 |
| Nebraska | $45,690 |
| Kentucky | $44,700 |
| Idaho | $44,700 |
| Kansas | $44,510 |
| Colorado | $42,940 |
| Michigan | $42,600 |
| South Carolina | $42,580 |
| Utah | $42,060 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,660 |
| Maryland | $41,440 |
| North Carolina | $40,300 |
| California | $40,130 |
| Tennessee | $39,980 |
| Washington | $39,980 |
| Oregon | $39,730 |
| Hawaii | $39,440 |
| Massachusetts | $39,310 |
| Vermont | $36,610 |
| Florida | $35,510 |
| New Mexico | $35,460 |
| Georgia | $34,770 |
| Oklahoma | $34,340 |
| Arizona | $34,270 |
| Mississippi | $30,570 |
| Arkansas | $30,380 |
| Texas | $29,930 |
| Alabama | $29,410 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,560 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Agricultural Equipment Operators broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $60,150 |
| Educational Services | $60,150 |
| Educational Services | $60,150 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $59,100 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $56,500 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $55,960 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $54,200 |
| Construction | $52,870 |
| Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | $50,320 |
| Truck Transportation | $49,680 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $49,190 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $49,190 |
| Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers | $48,680 |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers | $48,680 |
| Beverage Manufacturing | $48,440 |
| Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | $48,440 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $47,650 |
| Retail Trade | $47,110 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $46,770 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $46,680 |
| Manufacturing | $46,460 |
| Support Activities for Animal Production | $46,290 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $46,260 |
| Animal Food Manufacturing | $46,210 |
| Wholesale Trade | $46,200 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $46,010 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $46,010 |
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | $44,660 |
| Food Manufacturing | $44,290 |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | $44,040 |
| Waste Collection | $44,040 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | $43,940 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $43,750 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $43,750 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $43,680 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $43,150 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $42,230 |
| Employment Services | $41,940 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $41,790 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $41,790 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $41,790 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $41,600 |
| Temporary Help Services | $41,600 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $41,070 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $41,070 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $40,440 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | $39,580 |
| Landscaping Services | $39,580 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $39,440 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | $38,520 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $38,220 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $38,220 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | $37,940 |
| Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | $37,940 |
| Support Activities for Crop Production | $37,850 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $36,410 |
| Grain and Oilseed Milling | $35,580 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing | $33,860 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | $28,740 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers | $28,740 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $42,580 |
| 2023 | $39,690 |
| 2022 | $37,780 |
| 2021 | $36,360 |
| 2020 | $32,750 |
| 2019 | $31,950 |
| 2018 | $31,190 |
| 2017 | $30,110 |
| 2016 | $28,850 |
| 2015 | $27,840 |
| 2014 | $26,910 |