Agricultural Equipment Operators pay in the U.S.
$43,710avg. a year
$21.02 an hour · 28,500 employed
Agricultural Equipment Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $43,710 a year and a median of $41,730. Pay is highest in Montana ($54,400) and lowest in Mississippi ($34,330).
$41,730Median pay
$21.02Average hourly
+28%Avg. pay since 2020
28,500Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for agricultural equipment operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1130 jobs
Montana
$54,400
$26.15 an hour
2
New York
$51,740
$24.88 an hour
340 jobs
Delaware
$51,150
$24.59 an hour
4270 jobs
Louisiana
$51,050
$24.54 an hour
5900 jobs
Missouri
$50,440
$24.25 an hour
6430 jobs
North Dakota
$50,340
$24.20 an hour
7600 jobs
Ohio
$50,070
$24.07 an hour
8900 jobs
Minnesota
$49,530
$23.81 an hour
91,530 jobs
Iowa
$49,480
$23.79 an hour
10120 jobs
Virginia
$49,420
$23.76 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Agricultural Equipment Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $40k$40k–$46k$46k–$49k$49k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $53,350 | $25.65 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $51,290 | $24.66 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $51,000 | $24.52 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $49,580 | $23.84 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $49,390 | $23.75 |
| Madison, WI | $48,980 | $23.55 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $48,520 | $23.33 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $48,330 | $23.24 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Agricultural Equipment Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,640 | $33,910 | 370 |
| Arizona | $37,160 | $36,600 | 730 |
| Arkansas | $35,530 | $32,060 | 350 |
| California | $42,730 | $38,820 | 7,940 |
| Colorado | $42,840 | $37,290 | – |
| Delaware | $51,150 | $49,910 | 40 |
| Florida | $40,900 | $36,660 | 790 |
| Georgia | $37,390 | $35,410 | 570 |
| Idaho | $39,930 | $38,920 | 490 |
| Illinois | $47,230 | $46,050 | 1,910 |
| Indiana | $47,980 | $46,280 | 810 |
| Iowa | $49,480 | $47,220 | 1,530 |
| Kansas | $45,620 | $45,570 | 670 |
| Kentucky | $48,050 | $42,000 | 190 |
| Louisiana | $51,050 | $58,520 | 270 |
| Maine | $48,820 | $46,490 | 60 |
| Maryland | $43,180 | $39,580 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $47,670 | $49,150 | 40 |
| Michigan | $41,670 | $42,380 | 460 |
| Minnesota | $49,530 | $48,520 | 900 |
| Mississippi | $34,330 | $36,460 | 280 |
| Missouri | $50,440 | $46,490 | 900 |
| Montana | $54,400 | $58,770 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $49,070 | $46,670 | 1,090 |
| New Jersey | $43,390 | $41,660 | 70 |
| New Mexico | $36,450 | $35,580 | 130 |
| New York | $51,740 | $50,020 | – |
| North Carolina | $39,410 | $39,580 | 550 |
| North Dakota | $50,340 | $48,080 | 430 |
| Ohio | $50,070 | $47,220 | 600 |
| Oklahoma | $41,970 | $34,900 | 170 |
| Oregon | $45,070 | $44,150 | 310 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,900 | $47,100 | 390 |
| South Carolina | $35,760 | $34,490 | 380 |
| South Dakota | $47,470 | $48,060 | 240 |
| Tennessee | $38,600 | $37,750 | 390 |
| Texas | $35,300 | $34,260 | 2,200 |
| Virginia | $49,420 | $47,890 | 120 |
| Washington | $43,770 | $38,470 | 550 |
| Wisconsin | $47,940 | $47,100 | 830 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Fresno, CA
$39,250
910 jobsBakersfield-Delano, CA
$39,990
700 jobsSalinas, CA
$41,180
680 jobsVisalia, CA
$37,970
650 jobsNapa, CA
$47,160
590 jobsSanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$42,620
460 jobsStockton-Lodi, CA
$40,250
390 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$47,750
360 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do agricultural equipment operators make?
The average is $43,710 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $41,730 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $21.02, and the median is $20.06 an hour.
Which state pays agricultural equipment operators the most?
Montana, with an average of $54,400 a year. The best-paying metro area is Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $53,350.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $33,500 a year, and the top 10% earn over $58,650.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 45-2091. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.