Sources: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Personnel Management, Wisconsin Alphabetical Listing of Classifications and 2025-2027 Compensation Plan Pay Schedules; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Wisconsin state pay plan Sourced
Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective June 28, 2026. These are the ranges Wisconsin sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.
| Class and grade | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Heavy Equipment Operator Class 80500 Grade 06-14 | $26.50 – $37.49 a hour $55,120 – $77,979 a year |
Schedule: Pay Schedule 06: Technical. 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: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Personnel Management, Wisconsin Alphabetical Listing of Classifications and 2025-2027 Compensation Plan Pay Schedules. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pay in Wisconsin, all employers Sourced
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073) in Wisconsin, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | WI |
|---|---|
| Workers | 8,140 |
| 10th percentile | $51,370 |
| Median | $75,280 |
| 90th percentile | $100,140 |
| 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 Wisconsin
Wisconsin CDL Air Brakes Knowledge TestWisconsin version · free on Open Exam Prep- Wisconsin Commercial Driver License General Knowledge TestWisconsin version · free on Open Exam Prep
- CDL Air Brakes Knowledge TestPractice for a named exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge ExamPractice for a named exam · free on Open Exam Prep
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.