U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) / Department of Agriculture / Engineering Equipment Operating

Job-title file

Engineering Equipment Operating

Design, analyze, and oversee technical systems or infrastructure, ensuring they meet specifications and codes.

472 employees hold this title in Department of Agriculture. Median total compensation for the role is $66,505, below the department median of $77,955.

Employees: 472
Total payroll: $31.4M
Role median: $66,505
Agency median: $77,955
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$40,175$92,461+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 472 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Engineering Equipment Operating pay vs. the United States

Across all employers in the United States, the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators — about 478,090 people — is $59,850. Department of Agriculture pays a median base salary of $65,803 for this role, 10% above that figure — about the 59th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Department of Agriculture sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$42,190

$48,680

$59,850

$77,170

$101,090

Department of Agriculture median · $65,803

The bar is the range of annual wages for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators across every employer in the United States, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Agriculture’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

Median total compensation for this role at Department of Agriculture is $66,505, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

Engineering Equipment Operating is held in 10 U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) departments. In Department of Agriculture, the median of $66,505 ranks #8 of 10.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Department of Energy

$121,693 · 14

Presidio Trust

$111,297 · 3

Department of Transportation

$79,459 · 7

Department of Homeland Security

$78,774 · 22

Smithsonian Institution

$77,031 · 3

Department of Interior

$69,455 · 721

Department of Veterans Affairs

$66,972 · 226

Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation

$65,740 · 2

Inter Bound and Water Community U.S. Section

$65,135 · 23

Median total compensation for the Engineering Equipment Operating role in other U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)departments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Brodie Goldbeck

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$53,198

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $53,198
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $53,198
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Roseburg
Work county: Douglas
Work state: Oregon

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $53,198
Basic Pay (before locality): $53,198
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 411780019
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

At Department of Agriculture, Brodie Goldbeck serves as a Engineering Equipment Operating based in Roseburg, Oregon. Their 2024 pay totaled $53,198. They are classified at grade 08.

Soren Fleming

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$52,723

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $52,196
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $527
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $52,723
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Silver Springs
Work county: Marion
Work state: Florida

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $52,196
Basic Pay (before locality): $52,196
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 122825083
Length of Service (Years): 4
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Soren Fleming holds the role of Engineering Equipment Operating at Department of Agriculture based in Silver Springs, Florida. In 2024, their total compensation was $52,723. Their pay grade is 08.

Cody Seymour

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$52,705

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $52,196
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $509
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $52,705
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Olustee
Work county: Baker
Work state: Florida

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $52,196
Basic Pay (before locality): $52,196
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 122315003
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Cody Seymour is a Engineering Equipment Operating at Department of Agriculture based in Olustee, Florida. 2024 total compensation came to $52,705. They are classified at grade 08.

Vincent Aiken

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$52,655

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $52,655
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $52,655
Pay grade: 08
Work city: New Ellenton
Work county: Aiken
Work state: South Carolina

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $52,655
Basic Pay (before locality): $52,655
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 451755003
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Vincent Aiken works as a Engineering Equipment Operating for Department of Agriculture based in New Ellenton, South Carolina. Vincent earned $52,655 in 2024. Their pay grade is 08.

Jace Townsend

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$52,594

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $50,589
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $2,005
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $52,594
Pay grade: 08
Work city: New Ellenton
Work county: Aiken
Work state: South Carolina

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $50,589
Basic Pay (before locality): $50,589
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 451755003
Length of Service (Years): 4
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Jace Townsend works as a Engineering Equipment Operating for Department of Agriculture based in New Ellenton, South Carolina. Jace earned $52,594 in 2024. Their pay grade is 08.

Clayton Welborn

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$52,509

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $52,509
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $52,509
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Tallahassee
Work county: Leon
Work state: Florida

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $52,509
Basic Pay (before locality): $52,509
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 122940073
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Clayton Welborn holds the role of Engineering Equipment Operating at Department of Agriculture based in Tallahassee, Florida. In 2024, their total compensation was $52,509. Their pay grade is 08.

Bob Toney

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$52,175

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $52,175
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $52,175
Pay grade: 05
Work city: Hayfork
Work county: Trinity
Work state: California

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $52,175
Basic Pay (before locality): $52,175
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 061555105
Length of Service (Years): 20
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Bob Toney works as a Engineering Equipment Operating for Department of Agriculture based in Hayfork, California. Bob earned $52,175 in 2024. Their pay grade is 05.

Kenneth Ual

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$51,966

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $51,966
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $51,966
Pay grade: 05
Work city: New Waverly
Work county: Walker
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $51,966
Basic Pay (before locality): $51,966
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 484908471
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Kenneth Ual works as a Engineering Equipment Operating for Department of Agriculture based in New Waverly, Texas. Kenneth earned $51,966 in 2024. Their pay grade is 05.

Jeffrey Carlson

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$51,836

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $51,486
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $51,836
Pay grade: 05
Work city: Watersmeet
Work county: Gogebic
Work state: Michigan

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $51,486
Basic Pay (before locality): $51,486
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 265115053
Length of Service (Years): 1
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Jeffrey Carlson is a Engineering Equipment Operating at Department of Agriculture based in Watersmeet, Michigan. 2024 total compensation came to $51,836. They are classified at grade 05.

Nathan Pankratz

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$51,781

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $50,777
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,004
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $51,781
Pay grade: 05
Work city: Yellowpine
Work county: Sabine
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $50,777
Basic Pay (before locality): $50,777
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 487628403
Length of Service (Years): 17
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Nathan Pankratz is a Engineering Equipment Operating at Department of Agriculture based in Yellowpine, Texas. 2024 total compensation came to $51,781. They are classified at grade 05.

Johnny Walker

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$51,423

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $50,777
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $646
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $51,423
Pay grade: 05
Work city: Ratcliff
Work county: Houston
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $50,777
Basic Pay (before locality): $50,777
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 485655225
Length of Service (Years): 15
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Johnny Walker holds the role of Engineering Equipment Operating at Department of Agriculture based in Ratcliff, Texas. In 2024, their total compensation was $51,423. Their pay grade is 05.

Josh Tester

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$51,106

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $50,297
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $809
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $51,106
Pay grade: 05
Work city: Bristol
Work county: Sullivan
Work state: Tennessee

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $50,297
Basic Pay (before locality): $50,297
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 470290163
Length of Service (Years): 7
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

Josh Tester is a Engineering Equipment Operating at Department of Agriculture based in Bristol, Tennessee. 2024 total compensation came to $51,106. They are classified at grade 05.

Michael Grant

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$51,033

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $50,589
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $444
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $51,033
Pay grade: 08
Work city: New Ellenton
Work county: Aiken
Work state: South Carolina

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $50,589
Basic Pay (before locality): $50,589
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 451755003
Length of Service (Years): 6
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

At Department of Agriculture, Michael Grant serves as a Engineering Equipment Operating based in New Ellenton, South Carolina. Their 2024 pay totaled $51,033. They are classified at grade 08.

David Taylor

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$50,706

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $50,109
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $597
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $50,706
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Silver Springs
Work county: Marion
Work state: Florida

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $50,109
Basic Pay (before locality): $50,109
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 122825083
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

David Taylor works as a Engineering Equipment Operating for Department of Agriculture based in Silver Springs, Florida. David earned $50,706 in 2024. Their pay grade is 08.

Kaleb Varnedoe

Engineering Equipment Operating/Department of Agriculture

2024 total comp

$50,656

Sub-department: Forest Service
Base pay: $50,109
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $547
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $50,656
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Olustee
Work county: Baker
Work state: Florida

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $50,109
Basic Pay (before locality): $50,109
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 122315003
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 5716
Pay Plan (OPM): WG

At Department of Agriculture, Kaleb Varnedoe serves as a Engineering Equipment Operating based in Olustee, Florida. Their 2024 pay totaled $50,656. They are classified at grade 08.