Operating Engineer Prevailing Wage Rates in Montana (2026)
Operating Engineers on prevailing wage projects in Montana are paid $29.49 to $33.89 per hour, with a median total of $32.04 across the 50 determination records listed below. That total is base rate plus fringe benefits; the median base rate is $24.20, and among the 50 records listing a fringe separately the median fringe is $8.05. Rates differ by county, construction type and funding source, so use the row that matches your project.
Figures above are computed over the 50 hourly records in the table below, which is the first page of a larger set. They are not a statewide average of all operating engineers in Montana. Most recent determination in this set: May 18, 2026.
How much do operating engineers earn on prevailing wage jobs in Montana?
Every row below is one wage determination line: a operating engineer classification, in one county, for one construction type, under one funding source. The rate that applies to your project is the row whose county, construction type and funding source all match it — a Highway rate does not apply to a Building project in the same county, and a state determination does not substitute for a federal one.
| Classification | County | Construction type | Funding | Base | Fringe | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator: Backhoe | Lake | Heavy | #federal | $21.44 | $8.05 | $29.49 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Lake | Heavy | #federal | $21.99 | $8.55 | $30.54 |
| Operator: Excavator | Lake | Heavy | #federal | $22.94 | $9.05 | $31.99 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Lake | Heavy | #federal | $24.69 | $8.40 | $33.09 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Lake | Heavy | #federal | $24.20 | $7.84 | $32.04 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Lincoln | Heavy | #federal | $21.44 | $8.05 | $29.49 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Lincoln | Heavy | #federal | $21.99 | $8.55 | $30.54 |
| Operator: Excavator | Lincoln | Heavy | #federal | $22.94 | $9.05 | $31.99 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Lincoln | Heavy | #federal | $24.69 | $8.40 | $33.09 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Lincoln | Heavy | #federal | $24.20 | $7.84 | $32.04 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Mineral | Heavy | #federal | $21.44 | $8.05 | $29.49 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Mineral | Heavy | #federal | $21.99 | $8.55 | $30.54 |
| Operator: Excavator | Mineral | Heavy | #federal | $22.94 | $9.05 | $31.99 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Mineral | Heavy | #federal | $24.69 | $8.40 | $33.09 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Mineral | Heavy | #federal | $24.20 | $7.84 | $32.04 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Ravalli | Heavy | #federal | $21.44 | $8.05 | $29.49 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Ravalli | Heavy | #federal | $21.99 | $8.55 | $30.54 |
| Operator: Excavator | Ravalli | Heavy | #federal | $22.94 | $9.05 | $31.99 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Ravalli | Heavy | #federal | $24.69 | $8.40 | $33.09 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Ravalli | Heavy | #federal | $24.20 | $7.84 | $32.04 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Sanders | Heavy | #federal | $21.44 | $8.05 | $29.49 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Sanders | Heavy | #federal | $21.99 | $8.55 | $30.54 |
| Operator: Excavator | Sanders | Heavy | #federal | $22.94 | $9.05 | $31.99 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Sanders | Heavy | #federal | $24.69 | $8.40 | $33.09 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Sanders | Heavy | #federal | $24.20 | $7.84 | $32.04 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Blaine | Heavy | #federal | $25.71 | $8.05 | $33.76 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Blaine | Heavy | #federal | $23.53 | $8.05 | $31.58 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Blaine | Heavy | #federal | $25.44 | $8.45 | $33.89 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Blaine | Heavy | #federal | $25.01 | $7.78 | $32.79 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Chouteau | Heavy | #federal | $25.71 | $8.05 | $33.76 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Chouteau | Heavy | #federal | $23.53 | $8.05 | $31.58 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Chouteau | Heavy | #federal | $25.44 | $8.45 | $33.89 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Chouteau | Heavy | #federal | $25.01 | $7.78 | $32.79 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Fergus | Heavy | #federal | $25.71 | $8.05 | $33.76 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Fergus | Heavy | #federal | $23.53 | $8.05 | $31.58 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Fergus | Heavy | #federal | $25.44 | $8.45 | $33.89 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Fergus | Heavy | #federal | $25.01 | $7.78 | $32.79 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Glacier | Heavy | #federal | $25.71 | $8.05 | $33.76 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Glacier | Heavy | #federal | $23.53 | $8.05 | $31.58 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Glacier | Heavy | #federal | $25.44 | $8.45 | $33.89 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Glacier | Heavy | #federal | $25.01 | $7.78 | $32.79 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Golden-Valley | Heavy | #federal | $25.71 | $8.05 | $33.76 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Golden-Valley | Heavy | #federal | $23.53 | $8.05 | $31.58 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Golden-Valley | Heavy | #federal | $25.44 | $8.45 | $33.89 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Golden-Valley | Heavy | #federal | $25.01 | $7.78 | $32.79 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Hill | Heavy | #federal | $25.71 | $8.05 | $33.76 |
| Operator: Bobcat/Skid Steer/Skid Loader | Hill | Heavy | #federal | $23.53 | $8.05 | $31.58 |
| Operator: Grader/Blade | Hill | Heavy | #federal | $25.44 | $8.45 | $33.89 |
| Operator: Loader (Front End) | Hill | Heavy | #federal | $25.01 | $7.78 | $32.79 |
| Operator: Backhoe | Judith-Basin | Heavy | #federal | $25.71 | $8.05 | $33.76 |
WageFinder holds more operating engineer records for Montana than fit on this page. Open a county below, or search all Montana operating engineers.
What does the operating engineer classification cover?
Operating engineers run the powered equipment on a project — excavators, dozers, cranes, loaders, graders, rollers and forklifts. This is the classification most likely to be broken into a long list of equipment-specific rates and grouped into skill tiers, so the applicable rate depends on the exact machine, not on the job title.
Work typically covered
- Excavators and backhoes
- Cranes and lifting equipment
- Dozers, loaders and graders
- Rollers and compactors
- Forklifts and material handlers
Also listed as
- Power Equipment Operator
- Operator: Bulldozer
- Operator: Crane
- Heavy Equipment Operator
In this Montana result set the work appears under 5 distinct classification names.
Operating Engineer rates by county in Montana
Prevailing wage is set county by county. These are the Montana counties with operating engineer records in the set above — open one to see every classification on that county's determination, not just this trade.
Other trades in Montana
Operating Engineer prevailing wage questions
What is the prevailing wage for a operating engineer in Montana?
Across the 50 federal-funded determination records WageFinder lists for operating engineers in Montana, total prevailing wage runs from $29.49 to $33.89 per hour, median $32.04. There is no single statewide figure: each county's determination sets its own rate, and the same county can carry different rates for Building, Highway, Heavy and Residential work.
Does the operating engineer rate include benefits?
The total prevailing wage shown is the base hourly rate plus the fringe benefit rate. Of the 50 Montana records on this page, 50 list a fringe amount separately, with a median of $8.05 per hour — roughly 25% of the median total. The rest list no separate fringe, meaning the base rate is the whole obligation. Fringe can be paid as bona fide benefit plan contributions, as cash added to the paycheck, or as a mix of both.
Which Montana counties have operating engineer rates?
This page lists operating engineer records for 12 counties in Montana: Blaine, Chouteau, Fergus, Glacier, Golden-Valley, Hill, Judith-Basin, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Ravalli, Sanders. Determinations that apply statewide appear under a statewide entry rather than a named county.
How current are these Montana operating engineer rates?
The most recent determination in this set is dated May 18, 2026. WageFinder re-reads the official sources weekly, but the date that matters for compliance is the determination date on the document itself, which is shown on every wage detail page and links back to the government source.
Running certified payroll against these rates?
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