Sources: Arizona Department of Administration, Human Resources Division, Arizona State Personnel System Job Titles with Pay Ranges and Salary Schedules; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Arizona state pay plan Sourced
Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective July 9, 2022. These are the ranges Arizona sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.
| Class and grade | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Equipment Operator 2 Class S04020 · class description Grade 15 | $13.49 – $24.67 a hour $28,059 – $51,308 a year |
| Equipment Operator 3 Class S03864 · class description Grade 17 | $15.34 – $27.66 a hour $31,909 – $57,540 a year |
| Heavy Equipment Operator Class S21706 · class description Grade 18 | $16.45 – $29.51 a hour $34,221 – $61,378 a year |
Schedule: Pay Schedule AREG. Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions (hourly × 2,080). Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).
Source: Arizona Department of Administration, Human Resources Division, Arizona State Personnel System Job Titles with Pay Ranges and Salary Schedules. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pay in Arizona, all employers Sourced
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073) in Arizona, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | AZ |
|---|---|
| Workers | 13,200 |
| 10th percentile | $47,680 |
| Median | $60,620 |
| 90th percentile | $79,460 |
| 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.
More about this job
Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Heavy Equipment Operator (government) page.