Heavy Equipment Operators in the Mayaguez area earn a median of $30,970 a year, 48% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #388 of 391 metros for heavy equipment operator pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Arecibo, but less in Aguadilla.
It's one of 5 Puerto Rico metros with published pay for this trade; see heavy equipment operators across Puerto Rico.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for heavy equipment operators here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros.
Mayaguez scorecard for heavy equipment operators Our calculation
Grades compare Mayaguez with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers.
Pay over time
The median pay for heavy equipment operators in the Mayaguez area went from $22,170 in 2021 to $30,970 in 2025, up 39.7%. Prices rose 19% over the same period, so after inflation that's +17.0% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2021–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among heavy equipment operators in Mayaguez.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
Rent in Mayaguez
Typical rent is $496 a month for a 1-bedroom and $590 for a 2-bedroom.
What heavy equipment operators do
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Learn and follow safety regulations.
- Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
- Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
- Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
- Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, heavy equipment operator jobs are projected to grow 4.6% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 39,200 openings a year. About 2% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often heavy equipment operators deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Puerto Rico Official source
Check with local authorities in Puerto Rico. Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
Requirements for heavy equipment operators vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, heavy equipment operators have 78 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, about the same as all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying PR metros for heavy equipment operators
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AreciboPUERTO RICO · PR | $31,360 | — | 90 |
| MayaguezPUERTO RICO · PR | $30,970 | — | 90 |
| San JuanPUERTO RICO · PR | $29,810 | — | 1,730 |
| AguadillaPUERTO RICO · PR | $28,440 | — | 130 |
| PoncePUERTO RICO · PR | $27,770 | — | 200 |
See every metro in Puerto Rico.
How much work is there? Government data
Getting to work
The average commute in the Mayaguez area is 25 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Homes in Mayaguez
The Mayaguez area has about 117,079 homes. 55% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 4% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $133,000.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
In 2025 the Mayaguez area approved permits for 343 new homes (329 single-family), or 1.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #325 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $30,970 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get heavy equipment operator pricing & estimate templates →Compare Mayaguez with another city →
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ToolMayaguez budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Mayaguez metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Mayaguez against every other metro for heavy equipment operators. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
BEA doesn't publish price levels for Mayaguez, so real pay isn't shown. The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for heavy equipment operators as a separate industry, so that section is left out.