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Job title · Alabama

Heavy Equipment Operator (government) in Alabama

Alabama State Personnel Department lists 3 job classes for this work in the Alabama state pay plan: Equipment Operator I–III.

$24,446 – $49,987
state pay plan range, a year
3
classes in the state plan
$47,520
median pay in AL, all employers
9,640
workers in AL (SOC 47-2073)

Sources: Alabama State Personnel Department, Alabama Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan (effective 09/01/2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Alabama state pay plan Sourced

Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective September 1, 2026. These are the ranges Alabama sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.

Class and gradePublished rate
Equipment Operator I
Class 90311
Grade 48
$1,018.60 – $1,591.20 a half-month
$24,446 – $38,189 a year
19 steps
  • Step 04: $1,018.60 a half-month
  • Step 05: $1,045.00 a half-month
  • Step 06: $1,070.50 a half-month
  • Step 07: $1,097.50 a half-month
  • Step 08: $1,125.60 a half-month
  • Step 09: $1,154.10 a half-month
  • Step 10: $1,182.40 a half-month
  • Step 11: $1,211.90 a half-month
  • Step 12: $1,241.90 a half-month
  • Step 13: $1,272.60 a half-month
  • Step 14: $1,304.30 a half-month
  • Step 15: $1,336.40 a half-month
  • Step 16: $1,370.30 a half-month
  • Step 17: $1,405.30 a half-month
  • Step 18: $1,440.10 a half-month
  • Step 19: $1,476.00 a half-month
  • Step 20: $1,514.10 a half-month
  • Step 21: $1,551.60 a half-month
  • Step 22: $1,591.20 a half-month
Equipment Operator II
Class 90312
Grade 54
$1,154.10 – $1,842.40 a half-month
$27,698 – $44,218 a year
20 steps
  • Step 03: $1,154.10 a half-month
  • Step 04: $1,182.40 a half-month
  • Step 05: $1,211.90 a half-month
  • Step 06: $1,241.90 a half-month
  • Step 07: $1,272.60 a half-month
  • Step 08: $1,304.30 a half-month
  • Step 09: $1,336.40 a half-month
  • Step 10: $1,370.30 a half-month
  • Step 11: $1,405.30 a half-month
  • Step 12: $1,440.10 a half-month
  • Step 13: $1,476.00 a half-month
  • Step 14: $1,514.10 a half-month
  • Step 15: $1,551.60 a half-month
  • Step 16: $1,591.20 a half-month
  • Step 17: $1,630.50 a half-month
  • Step 18: $1,670.80 a half-month
  • Step 19: $1,711.70 a half-month
  • Step 20: $1,753.90 a half-month
  • Step 21: $1,798.20 a half-month
  • Step 22: $1,842.40 a half-month
Equipment Operator III
Class 90313
Grade 59
$1,272.60 – $2,082.80 a half-month
$30,542 – $49,987 a year
21 steps
  • Step 02: $1,272.60 a half-month
  • Step 03: $1,304.30 a half-month
  • Step 04: $1,336.40 a half-month
  • Step 05: $1,370.30 a half-month
  • Step 06: $1,405.30 a half-month
  • Step 07: $1,440.10 a half-month
  • Step 08: $1,476.00 a half-month
  • Step 09: $1,514.10 a half-month
  • Step 10: $1,551.60 a half-month
  • Step 11: $1,591.20 a half-month
  • Step 12: $1,630.50 a half-month
  • Step 13: $1,670.80 a half-month
  • Step 14: $1,711.70 a half-month
  • Step 15: $1,753.90 a half-month
  • Step 16: $1,798.20 a half-month
  • Step 17: $1,842.40 a half-month
  • Step 18: $1,889.70 a half-month
  • Step 19: $1,936.20 a half-month
  • Step 20: $1,983.60 a half-month
  • Step 21: $2,033.20 a half-month
  • Step 22: $2,082.80 a half-month

Schedule: Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan, semi-monthly step rates. Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).

Source: Alabama State Personnel Department, Alabama Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan (effective 09/01/2026). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Pay in Alabama, all employers Sourced

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073) in Alabama, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.

MeasureAL
Workers9,640
10th percentile$36,230
Median$47,520
90th percentile$67,690
National median, government employers$52,750

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Free practice tests for Alabama

Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.

More about this job

Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Heavy Equipment Operator (government) page.

Heavy Equipment Operator (government) in other states

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