Operating Engineer

Operating Engineer Salary in Indiana

$34.3K

$77.6K

$128.5K

$80,910

/year

$38.90

/hour

Operating Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$85,029

Indiana

Indiana

$80,910

    Do you get a good deal as an Operating Engineer?

    Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

    Take The Breakroom Quiz

    Breakroom banner

    How much does an Operating Engineer make in Indiana?

    As of Jul 13, 2026, the average annual pay for an Operating Engineer in Indiana is $80,910 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $38.90 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,555/week or $6,742/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $128,461 and as low as $34,256, the majority of Operating Engineer salaries currently range between $66,100 (25th percentile) to $89,400 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $112,284 annually in Indiana. The average pay range for an Operating Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 23300), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    Indiana ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Operating Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Operating Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as an Operating Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Operating Engineer Jobs in Indiana

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Operating Engineer job is above the average in Indiana in Indiana. Topping the list is Whiteland, , with Crane, and Valparaiso, close behind in the second and third positions. Valparaiso, beats the average in Indiana by $4,012 (5.0%), and Whiteland, furthers that trend with another $4,197 (5.2%) above the $80,910 average.

    With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for Indiana, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Operating Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Whiteland, and Lebanon, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Operating Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Whiteland

    $85,107

    $40.92

    Crane

    $84,992

    $40.86

    Valparaiso

    $84,922

    $40.83

    Carmel

    $84,897

    $40.82

    Plainfield

    $83,415

    $40.10

    Merrillville

    $83,408

    $40.10

    Michigan City

    $82,621

    $39.72

    Lafayette

    $81,809

    $39.33

    Jeffersonville

    $81,513

    $39.19

    Lebanon

    $81,451

    $39.16

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Operating Engineer Jobs in Indiana

    Analyzing similar jobs related to the Operating Engineer job category in Indiana, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $80910 state average for Operating Engineer jobs.

    Nevertheless Rock Quarry, Construction Equipment Operator, or No Experience Heavy Equipment Operator may still be interesting positions to explore.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Rock Quarry

    $63,761

    $30.65

    Construction Equipment Operator

    $49,028

    $23.57

    No Experience Heavy Equipment Operator

    $46,940

    $22.57

    Professional Motor Coach Operator

    $46,499

    $22.36

    Grader Machine Operator

    $33,813

    $16.26

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Operating Engineer salary in Indiana as of July 2026. Shows a bar chart with salary percentiles ranging from $66,100 to $112,284 annually, with the Indiana average at $80,910 per year or $38.90 per hour. Includes a list of the top 10 highest paying cities in Indiana for Operating Engineer jobs, with Whiteland leading at $85,107 annually.