What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Operating Engineer?

We've identified 4 cities in Washington where Operating Engineer jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Issaquah (1.8% above average), followed by Seattle and Kirkland. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Issaquah $98,056 $8,171 $1,885 $47.14 Seattle $96,765 $8,063 $1,860 $46.52 Kirkland $96,674 $8,056 $1,859 $46.48 Camas $96,520 $8,043 $1,856 $46.40 Kent $95,988 $7,999 $1,845 $46.15 Bellevue $95,966 $7,997 $1,845 $46.14 Renton $95,650 $7,970 $1,839 $45.99 Woodinville $95,333 $7,944 $1,833 $45.83 Redmond $95,228 $7,935 $1,831 $45.78 Bothell $95,052 $7,921 $1,827 $45.70

Operating Engineer

Operating Engineer Salary in Washington

Q: How much does an Operating Engineer make in Washington?

The average annual pay for an operating engineer in Washington is $96,303 a year — that works out to approximately $46.30 an hour. That is 13.3% above the national average of $85,029. The middle 80% of Operating Engineers earn between $67,389 (10th percentile) and $133,646 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Operating Engineer Jobs in Washington?

We found several jobs related to Operating Engineer in Washington that pay more on average. Topping the list is Port Engineer at $41,710 (43.3%) above Operating Engineer. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Port Engineer $138,013 $11,501 $2,654 $66.35 Trade Developer $119,096 $9,924 $2,290 $57.26 Health Safety Engineer $118,494 $9,874 $2,278 $56.97 International Sales Engineer $108,949 $9,079 $2,095 $52.38 Stationary Engineer $87,492 $7,291 $1,682 $42.06

$40.8K

$92.3K

$152.9K

$96,303

/year

$46.30

/hour

Operating Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$85,029

Washington

$96,303

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How much does an Operating Engineer make in Washington?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average annual pay for an Operating Engineer in Washington is $96,303 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $46.30 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,851/week or $8,025/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $152,901 and as low as $40,773, the majority of Operating Engineer salaries currently range between $78,700 (25th percentile) to $106,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $133,646 annually in Washington. The average pay range for an Operating Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 27800), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

Washington 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 Washington

We've identified 4 cities where the typical salary for an Operating Engineer job is above the average in Washington in Washington. Topping the list is Issaquah, , with Seattle, and Kirkland, close behind in the second and third positions. Kirkland, beats the average in Washington by $371 (0.4%), and Issaquah, furthers that trend with another $1,753 (1.8%) above the $96,303 average.

With these 4 cities paying on average above the average for Washington, 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 3% between Issaquah, and Bothell, , 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	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Issaquah	$98,056	$8,171	$1,885	$47.14
Seattle	$96,765	$8,063	$1,860	$46.52
Kirkland	$96,674	$8,056	$1,859	$46.48
Camas	$96,520	$8,043	$1,856	$46.40
Kent	$95,988	$7,999	$1,845	$46.15
Bellevue	$95,966	$7,997	$1,845	$46.14
Renton	$95,650	$7,970	$1,839	$45.99
Woodinville	$95,333	$7,944	$1,833	$45.83
Redmond	$95,228	$7,935	$1,831	$45.78
Bothell	$95,052	$7,921	$1,827	$45.70

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

Analyzing similar jobs related to the Operating Engineer job category in Washington, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $96303 state average for Operating Engineer jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Port Engineer	$138,013	$11,501	$2,654	$66.35
Trade Developer	$119,096	$9,924	$2,290	$57.26
Health Safety Engineer	$118,494	$9,874	$2,278	$56.97
International Sales Engineer	$108,949	$9,079	$2,095	$52.38
Stationary Engineer	$87,492	$7,291	$1,682	$42.06

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 Washington as of August 2026. Shows a bar chart with salary percentiles ranging from $78,700 to $133,646 annually, with the Washington average at $96,303 per year or $46.30 per hour. Includes a list of the top 10 highest paying cities in Washington for Operating Engineer jobs, with Issaquah leading at $98,056 annually.