Average Agricultural Equipment Operators Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Agricultural Equipment Operators is $41,730 per year. The middle 50% earn between $36,810 and $48,100, with 28,500 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 40 states and 77 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Agricultural Equipment Operators pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $33,500
- 25th
- $36,810
- Median
- $41,730
- 75th
- $48,100
- 90th
- $58,650
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Agricultural Equipment Operators earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for agricultural equipment operators from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +7.7%
- 5,000 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 10,500
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
There are no formal educational requirements for entry. Much of the training happens through experience on the job.
Where Agricultural Equipment Operators earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where agricultural equipment operators work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Montana at $58,770, about 40.8% above the national median. At the metro level, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN leads with a median of $54,380.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | $58,770 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $58,520 | 270 |
| New York | $50,020 | N/A |
| Delaware | $49,910 | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $49,150 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $48,520 | 900 |
| North Dakota | $48,080 | 430 |
| South Dakota | $48,060 | 240 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $54,380 | 50 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $53,680 | 180 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $52,100 | 30 |
| Columbus, OH | $51,050 | 50 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $49,990 | 50 |
| Dubuque, IA | $49,440 | 40 |
| Madison, WI | $49,410 | 110 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $49,220 | 140 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see agricultural equipment operators pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Agricultural Equipment Operators rose from $31,950 to $41,730, a gain of +30.6% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $31,950 would need to be worth $40,234 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $41,730 is $1,496 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +3.7% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 3.7%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +30.6%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +3.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Agricultural Equipment Operators median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $41,730
- 2024
- $42,580
- 2023
- $39,690
- 2022
- $37,780
- 2021
- $36,360
- 2020
- $32,750
- 2019
- $31,950
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Agricultural Workers, All Other
- $39,850
- Agricultural Inspectors
- $49,940
- Animal Breeders
- $51,130
- Forest And Conservation Workers
- $43,680
- Log Graders And Scalers
- $46,330
Common salary questions for Agricultural Equipment Operators
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Agricultural Equipment Operators workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.