--- title: "Crane Operator Programs in Texas: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/ description: "Crane Operator pay in Texas: BLS average $69,650 (all experience levels), median $73,280, bottom 10% $42,790. 7 listed programs." updated: 2026-11-03 wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15" --- 1. [Home](https://highpayingtrades.com/) 2. [Trades](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/) 3. [Crane Operator](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/) 4. Texas Texas # Crane Operator programs in *Texas* 7 listed crane operator programs in Texas, plus BLS pay data for the state and 17 metro areas. - **$69,650** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$42,790** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$73,280** Median pay (state) - **$93,390** Top 10% earn over 6,010 jobs in Texas · 7 listed programs. Average = BLS mean across all experience levels, not starting pay. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Cities with listed programs - [Houston 3](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/houston/) - [Baytown 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/baytown/) - [Longview 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/longview/) - [Robstown 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/robstown/) - [Texas City 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/texas-city/) BLS wage data ## Crane Operator pay in Texas Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Texas | $42,790 | $57,020 | $73,280 | $79,880 | $93,390 | $69,650 | 6,010 | | United States | $42,640 | $52,600 | $68,080 | $83,200 | $103,570 | $72,130 | 42,890 | Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. ### Metro areas | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Midland, TX | $63,270 | $74,740 | $79,220 | $80,950 | $91,720 | $78,410 | 150 | | Killeen-Temple, TX | $36,980 | $58,220 | $76,010 | $76,260 | $93,630 | $68,080 | 40 | | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $38,680 | $55,010 | $75,500 | $81,270 | $99,050 | $70,810 | 2,100 | | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $47,750 | $61,370 | $75,360 | $88,900 | $99,560 | $74,370 | 230 | | Odessa, TX | $55,030 | $62,810 | $75,310 | $82,160 | $88,970 | $74,020 | 90 | | Corpus Christi, TX | $51,730 | $64,960 | $74,200 | $76,740 | $76,780 | $71,520 | 330 | | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $45,450 | $61,760 | $73,050 | $76,130 | $88,420 | $68,190 | 240 | | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,290 | $53,410 | $68,640 | $79,670 | $91,940 | $69,630 | 1,310 | | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $44,190 | $57,630 | $68,200 | $77,160 | $93,200 | $67,520 | 270 | | El Paso, TX | $40,780 | $51,450 | $62,280 | $72,230 | $86,800 | $62,230 | 120 | | Waco, TX | $34,190 | $50,680 | $61,350 | $74,450 | $94,030 | $63,070 | 50 | | Longview, TX | $38,410 | $45,820 | $60,830 | $73,530 | $76,490 | $61,370 | — | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Texas Every crane operator program we matched in Texas. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Boss Crane and Rigging | Longview, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | Express Crane and Rigging | Houston, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | Allegiance Crane & Equipment | Houston, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | Circle 8 Crane Services | Robstown, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | Sterling Crane, LLC | Baytown, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | Tilghman Crane and Transport | Texas City, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | TNT Crane & Rigging Inc., and its affiliated entities | Houston, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | Schools: NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code; “Graduates 2023-24” is the number of first-major certificates or associate degrees the school awarded in that program from July 2023 to June 2024 (IPEDS). Tuition: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (updated 2026-10-15), matched by IPEDS unit ID; it is the published figure, not a quote. Apprenticeship sponsors: DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file (retrieved 2026-10-29); apprenticeships are typically paid, so no tuition is listed — contact the program. ### Browse by city - [Houston 3](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/houston/) - [Baytown 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/baytown/) - [Longview 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/longview/) - [Robstown 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/robstown/) - [Texas City 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/texas-city/) Related resources ## Keep researching [**GI Bill heavy equipment operator schools** Schools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com](https://veterantradeschools.com/heavy-equipment-operator/) [**CDL schools, if your crane job involves driving** Truck-mounted crane work on public roads can require a CDL; check the employer. · VerifiedCDLSchools.com](https://verifiedcdlschools.com/) [**Registered apprenticeships in Texas** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/tx/) ## Sources - **Wages:** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 ([news release USDL-26-0725](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm); [data tables](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm)). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03. - **Occupation:** O\*NET OnLine, [53-7021.00 Crane and Tower Operators](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-7021.00), retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0). - **Apprenticeship sponsors:** U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 ([Partner Finder](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/partner-finder)). - **Schools & graduates:** U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024\_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code ([completions file](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/data/C2024_A.zip); [CIP-SOC crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Files/CIP2020_SOC2018_Crosswalk.xlsx)). - **Tuition:** U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID ([source](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/)). Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03. --- Canonical HTML: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/texas/ Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm). Programs: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions; DOL Office of Apprenticeship. Tuition: College Scorecard.