WAGE DATA · SOC 47-2073

OPERATING ENGINEER PAY
IN OREGON.

Oregon operating engineers earn a median of $32.79/hr (BLS 2024). 5,450 workers employed statewide. Compare market wages, federal prevailing rates, and per-diem baselines below.

// BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS · STATEWIDEOEWS · MAY 2024
HOURLY MEDIAN
$32.79/hr
MEAN HOURLY
$36.26/hr
ANNUAL MEDIAN
$68K
EMPLOYED
5,450
10th · $24.00MEDIAN · $32.7990th · $51.46
// DAVIS-BACON · FEDERAL PREVAILING WAGE74 ACTIVE WDS

Active Wage Determinations · Oregon

74 active Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations cover Oregon. Each WD sets the legal minimum wage (base + fringe by trade classification) on federally-funded construction in the counties it applies to. Showing the 12 most recently modified — click through for the per-trade rates on sam.gov.

Per-trade rates (the actual $/hr for operating engineers by county) are published on the SAM.gov detail page for each WD. Browse all 74 Oregon Wage Determinations on sam.gov. If a contractor on a federal job is paying below the WD, file a WH-3 with DOL WHD.

// GSA PER DIEM · FY 2026GSA

Lodging + M&IE by City

The federal government's per-diem rate is the baseline most contractors use. If your job's per diem is below this, you're subsidizing the contractor.

Seaside
Clatsop
$243
/day · meals $86
Portland
Multnomah
$241
/day · meals $86
Bend
Deschutes
$228
/day · meals $86
Eugene / Florence
Lane
$227
/day · meals $80
Lincoln City
Lincoln
$220
/day · meals $92
Clackamas
Clackamas
$216
/day · meals $80
Beaverton
Washington
$212
/day · meals $80
Standard Rate
Oregon
$178
/day · meals $68
// ROADHAND COMMUNITY DATABE FIRST

What are workers actually earning?

Government data is a baseline. Real take-home pay — including per diem, OT rules, housing allowances — comes from workers on the ground. Submit your pay anonymously to help the next hand.

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FAQ

How much does a operating engineer earn in Oregon?+
According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2024), operating engineers in Oregon earn a median of $32.79/hr. That's roughly $68K/year for a full-time schedule at straight time.
What's the top pay for operating engineers in Oregon?+
The top 10% of operating engineers in Oregon earn more than $51.46/hr (BLS 2024). That represents experienced workers, supervisors, or those on high-per-diem travel contracts.
How many operating engineers work in Oregon?+
BLS reports 5,450 operating engineers employed in Oregon as of 2024. Numbers fluctuate with major construction cycles — when big projects like LNG terminals or data centers start, demand spikes.
Do operating engineers in Oregon get per diem?+
Per diem is standard on travel contracts. The federal GSA baseline for Oregon is typically $150-$260/day depending on the city. Contractors may set their per diem higher or lower — if it's below the GSA floor, you're subsidizing the contractor's housing budget out of pocket.
What's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage?+
Davis-Bacon rates are the legally-required minimum wages on federally-funded construction projects — base pay plus fringe benefits. Every contractor working a federal job must pay at least the Davis-Bacon rate for that county and trade. Private-sector jobs don't have to match, but many do as a competitive floor.