How much do heavy equipment operators make in Charlotte?

Where the benefits go (est. $/hr)

• Wages$24.46/hr
• Legally required≈ $3.21/hr
• Insurance≈ $2.89/hr
• Retirement & savings≈ $1.80/hr
• Paid leave≈ $1.60/hr
• Supplemental pay≈ $1.50/hr

Estimate from BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, private industry workers: the national average benefit load for construction, extraction, farming, fishing, and forestry occupations, applied to the median wage for this city. Actual benefits vary by employer, union status, and firm size.

Rent burden by city, ranked

1. 01St. Louis, MO21.7%$1,154/mo
2. 02Chicago, IL23.1%$1,469/mo
3. 03Minneapolis, MN27.4%$1,444/mo
4. 04Detroit, MI27.7%$1,248/mo
5. 05New York, NY31.2%$1,851/mo
6. 06Seattle, WA32.3%$2,050/mo
7. 07San Francisco, CA32.8%$2,435/mo
8. 08Sacramento, CA33.2%$1,904/mo
9. 09Philadelphia, PA35.0%$1,567/mo
10. 10Los Angeles, CA36.4%$2,114/mo
11. 11Portland, OR36.5%$1,767/mo
12. 12Baltimore, MD40.4%$1,633/mo
13. 13Houston, TX40.8%$1,469/mo
14. 14San Antonio, TX41.3%$1,422/mo
15. 15Boston, MA42.3%$2,093/mo
16. 16Phoenix, AZ42.7%$1,819/mo
17. 17San Diego, CA43.8%$2,336/mo
18. 18Denver, CO45.2%$1,943/mo
19. 19Charlotte, NC46.0%$1,594/mo
20. 20Dallas-Fort Worth, TX47.4%$1,718/mo
21. 21Washington, DC49.7%$2,037/mo
22. 22Tampa, FL50.0%$1,776/mo
23. 23Orlando, FL52.2%$1,877/mo
24. 24Atlanta, GA53.1%$1,770/mo
25. 25Miami, FL57.1%$2,083/mo

Median gross rent from the Census ACS 2024 1-year, Table B25064; pay from BLS OEWS May 2025; rent burden uses estimated take-home pay (2026 federal and state income tax plus FICA on the median wage). Rents are medians across Charlotte for all renters, not trade-specific, and take-home is an estimate for a single filer. Actual affordability varies with household size, neighborhood, and hours worked.

The path in

Active apprentice counts from the DOL Registered Apprenticeship, FY2024 database (RAPIDS): distinct apprentices by apprentice state (DOL defines this as the apprentice’s location; records from state apprenticeship agencies use the program’s state). Figures are statewide and are the same on every city page in the state. Occupation was not reported for 34.0% of active apprentices, so trade-level counts understate the true pipeline. DOL occupation titles counted: “OPERATING ENGINEER (Alternate Title: Heavy Construction Equipment Mechanic)”, “Operating Engineer”. U.S. Department of Labor dataset.

Union wage premium by trade, ranked

1. 01Electricians+55.5%
2. 02Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters+55.5%
3. 03Carpenters+55.5%
4. 04Painters (Construction & Maintenance)+55.5%
5. 05Roofers+55.5%
6. 06Structural Iron and Steel Workers+55.5%
7. 07Sheet Metal Workers+55.5%
8. 08Brickmasons and Blockmasons+55.5%
9. 09Glaziers+55.5%
10. 10Heavy Equipment Operators+55.5%
11. 11Insulation Workers+55.5%
12. 12Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers+52.0%
13. 13HVAC Technicians+37.8%
14. 14Automotive Service Technicians+37.8%
15. 15Maintenance & Repair Workers+37.8%
16. 16Welders+22.9%

Median usual weekly earnings from the 2025 BLS Current Population Survey, union membership annual release (Table 4): full-time wage and salary workers, sole or principal job. BLS publishes union-earnings figures for the broader group “Construction and extraction occupations”; these premiums are national and are not published by city. All self-employed workers are excluded. 2025 is an 11-month average (October not collected during the federal shutdown).