Florida / FL Department of Transportation / Heavy Equipment Operator

Job-title file

Heavy Equipment Operator

Operate, maintain, and repair equipment or facilities, performing skilled hands-on work.

134 employees hold this title in FL Department of Transportation. Median total compensation for the role is $45,562, below the department median of $69,007.

Employees: 134
Total payroll: $6.1M
Role median: $45,562
Agency median: $69,007
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$41,894$47,538+

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

How total compensation varies among the 134 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

Heavy Equipment Operator pay vs. Florida

Across all employers in Florida, the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators — about 27,510 people — is $49,400. FL Department of Transportation pays a median base salary of $45,562 for this role, 8% below that figure — about the 23rd percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where FL Department of Transportation sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$38,820

$46,330

$49,400

$58,360

$64,020

FL Department of Transportation median · $45,562

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

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators — about 478,090 people — is $59,850. FL Department of Transportation’s median base salary is 24% below that national figure, about the 18th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$42,190

$48,680

$59,850

$77,170

$101,090

FL Department of Transportation median · $45,562

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Florida range relative to the national one.

Median total compensation for this role at FL Department of Transportation is $45,562, 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 Florida

Heavy Equipment Operator is held in 2 Florida departments. In FL Department of Transportation, the median of $45,562 ranks #1 of 2.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Department of Military Affairs

$38,136 · 1

Median total compensation for the Heavy Equipment Operator role in other Floridadepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Heavy Equipment Operator beyond Florida

This role is reported in 12 jurisdictions. In Florida, the median of $45,562 ranks #7 of 12. See Heavy Equipment Operator across all of Florida →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

City of Las Vegas

$118,116 · 21

City of Milwaukee

$107,260 · 114

Ramsey County, Minnesota

$62,644 · 56

$58,280 · 17

$53,921 · 36

$51,783 · 261

$43,088 · 11

$42,703 · 19

Median total compensation for comparable Heavy Equipment Operatorroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 4

Kenneth Starling

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$44,209

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $44,209
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,209
Hire date: 2023-07-10
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 011834

Kenneth Starling holds the role of Heavy Equipment Operator at FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. Hired in 2023, they have about 3 years of service as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $44,209.

Hyman King

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$44,058

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $44,058
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,058
Hire date: 2026-05-12
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Lee

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003306

Hyman King holds the role of Heavy Equipment Operator at FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. They have served since 2026 (under a year) as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $44,058.

Andrew Goffe

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$44,058

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $44,058
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,058
Hire date: 2026-01-13
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Jordan

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003370

At FL Department of Transportation, Andrew Goffe serves as a Heavy Equipment Operator within Highway Operations. Hired in 2026, they have under a year of service, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $44,058.

Kyle Fowler

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$44,058

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $44,058
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,058
Hire date: 2024-01-23
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Brady

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003378

Kyle Fowler holds the role of Heavy Equipment Operator at FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. Their tenure dates to 2024, about 2 years as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $44,058.

Paul Shepherd Jr

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$44,058

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $44,058
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,058
Hire date: 2026-03-16
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003381

At FL Department of Transportation, Paul Shepherd Jr serves as a Heavy Equipment Operator within Highway Operations. They have served since 2026 (under a year), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $44,058.

Jared Hartman

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$44,058

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $44,058
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,058
Hire date: 2025-10-14
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Michael

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003482

Jared Hartman holds the role of Heavy Equipment Operator at FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. Hired in 2025, they have about a year of service as a salaried employee. In 2026, their total compensation was $44,058.

Joseph Wolf

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$44,058

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $44,058
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,058
Hire date: 2025-11-03
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003391

At FL Department of Transportation, Joseph Wolf serves as a Heavy Equipment Operator within Highway Operations. Their tenure dates to 2025, about a year, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $44,058.

Andrew Wilson

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$43,288

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $43,288
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $43,288
Hire date: 2026-04-27
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003342

Andrew Wilson is a Heavy Equipment Operator at FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. They have served since 2026 (under a year), working salaried. 2026 total compensation came to $43,288.

Matthew Wishon

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$43,288

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $43,288
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $43,288
Hire date: 2025-12-15
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Alexander

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 013442

At FL Department of Transportation, Matthew Wishon serves as a Heavy Equipment Operator within Highway Operations. They have served since 2025 (about a year), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $43,288.

Dayton Head

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$43,284

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $43,284
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $43,284
Hire date: 2025-05-12
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 002852

At FL Department of Transportation, Dayton Head serves as a Heavy Equipment Operator within Highway Operations. They have served since 2025 (about a year), working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $43,284.

Lawton Davis Sr

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$43,284

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $43,284
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $43,284
Hire date: 2026-03-30
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Israel

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003343

Lawton Davis Sr works as a Heavy Equipment Operator for FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. Their tenure dates to 2026, under a year as a salaried employee. Lawton earned $43,284 in 2026.

Michelle Ticke

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$42,440

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $42,440
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $42,440
Hire date: 2025-09-15
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: Jun

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003548

At FL Department of Transportation, Michelle Ticke serves as a Heavy Equipment Operator within Highway Operations. Hired in 2025, they have about a year of service, working salaried. Their 2026 pay totaled $42,440.

Karlos Milan

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$41,898

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $41,898
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $41,898
Hire date: 2026-04-13
Employment type: Salaried

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003477

Karlos Milan works as a Heavy Equipment Operator for FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. Hired in 2026, they have under a year of service as a salaried employee. Karlos earned $41,898 in 2026.

Robert Lewis

Heavy Equipment Operator/FL Department of Transportation

2026 total comp

$41,894

Sub-department: Highway Operations
Base pay: $41,894
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $41,894
Hire date: 2026-01-05
Employment type: Salaried
Middle name: H

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 6368
Position Number: 003600

Robert Lewis works as a Heavy Equipment Operator for FL Department of Transportation within Highway Operations. They have served since 2026 (under a year) as a salaried employee. Robert earned $41,894 in 2026.