--- title: "Operating Engineer Programs in Colorado: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/colorado/ description: "Operating Engineer pay in Colorado: BLS average $64,550 (all experience levels), median $62,620, bottom 10% $49,480. 2 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. [Operating Engineer](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/) 4. Colorado Colorado # Operating Engineer programs in *Colorado* 2 listed heavy equipment operator programs in Colorado, plus BLS pay data for the state and 7 metro areas. - **$64,550** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$49,480** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$62,620** Median pay (state) - **$78,870** Top 10% earn over 11,700 jobs in Colorado · 2 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 - [Bennett 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/colorado/bennett/) - [Denver 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/colorado/denver/) BLS wage data ## Operating Engineer pay in Colorado 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Colorado | $49,480 | $57,700 | $62,620 | $73,670 | $78,870 | $64,550 | 11,700 | | United States | $42,190 | $48,680 | $59,850 | $77,170 | $101,090 | $66,290 | 478,090 | Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. ### Metro areas | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Boulder, CO | $50,440 | $61,380 | $71,060 | $79,820 | $93,370 | $70,760 | 190 | | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $51,030 | $61,010 | $64,650 | $74,140 | $78,110 | $65,940 | 600 | | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $52,470 | $60,990 | $64,080 | $76,080 | $79,900 | $67,120 | 5,150 | | Colorado Springs, CO | $49,390 | $52,800 | $61,660 | $72,190 | $77,740 | $62,850 | 1,030 | | Pueblo, CO | $47,380 | $54,170 | $61,130 | $74,820 | $74,820 | $62,310 | 310 | | Greeley, CO | $50,020 | $55,210 | $60,690 | $62,940 | $73,640 | $60,600 | 1,550 | | Grand Junction, CO | $47,630 | $49,000 | $57,700 | $62,470 | $71,070 | $57,320 | 390 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Colorado Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Colorado. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | IUOE Local No. 9 Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee | Bennett, CO | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | King Soopers Bakery IUOE Local 1 JATC | Denver, CO | 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 - [Bennett 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/colorado/bennett/) - [Denver 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/colorado/denver/) Related resources ## Keep researching [**GI Bill heavy equipment operator schools** Schools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com](https://veterantradeschools.com/heavy-equipment-operator/) [**Verified CDL training schools** Many equipment jobs also involve hauling machines; compare CDL programs. · VerifiedCDLSchools.com](https://verifiedcdlschools.com/) [**Registered apprenticeships in Colorado** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/co/) ## 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, [47-2073.00 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2073.00), 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/operating-engineer/colorado/ 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.