Florida
Operating Engineer programs in Florida
8 listed heavy equipment operator programs in Florida, plus BLS pay data for the state and 22 metro areas.
- $52,590Average pay (state, all experience levels)
- $38,820Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $49,400Median pay (state)
- $64,020Top 10% earn over
27,510 jobs in Florida · 8 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
BLS wage data
Operating Engineer pay in Florida
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $38,820 | $46,330 | $49,400 | $58,360 | $64,020 | $52,590 | 27,510 |
| United States | $42,190 | $48,680 | $59,850 | $77,170 | $101,090 | $66,290 | 478,090 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $40,200 | $47,700 | $51,800 | $60,160 | $71,200 | $54,900 | 5,850 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $40,460 | $48,040 | $51,040 | $59,070 | $65,490 | $53,130 | 680 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $39,280 | $47,030 | $51,020 | $57,130 | $63,800 | $52,630 | 4,330 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $40,390 | $47,200 | $50,300 | $58,810 | $73,320 | $54,410 | 3,980 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $41,210 | $47,440 | $49,710 | $59,150 | $60,310 | $52,630 | 120 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $39,690 | $47,630 | $49,460 | $57,250 | $62,480 | $52,610 | 1,090 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $39,520 | $46,870 | $49,330 | $59,090 | $63,300 | $52,990 | 1,160 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $39,550 | $45,180 | $49,140 | $58,140 | $63,940 | $51,670 | 620 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $39,290 | $46,770 | $48,920 | $58,550 | $64,660 | $52,870 | 1,990 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | $39,920 | $47,030 | $48,860 | $57,590 | $61,870 | $51,580 | 200 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $39,660 | $46,480 | $48,640 | $61,090 | $71,430 | $53,670 | 390 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $37,190 | $45,500 | $48,620 | $57,320 | $61,870 | $51,210 | 500 |
Programs
Listed programs in Florida
Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Florida. Schools with published tuition are listed first.
| Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Technical College Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Coconut Creek, FL | Certificate (2-4 years) | 0 | $4,766 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 |
| Flagler Technical College Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Palm Coast, FL | Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | $1,074 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 |
| Florida Panhandle Technical College Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Chipley, FL | Certificate (1-2 years) | 2 | $4,624 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 |
| Indian River State College Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Fort Pierce, FL | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $2,764–$10,201 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Miami Lakes, FL | Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | $2,655 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 |
| Florida West Coast Operating Engineers JAC | Plant City, FL | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship |
| North Central Florida Operating Engineers JATC | Jacksonville, FL | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship |
| South Florida Operating Engineers JAC | Miami, FL | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship |
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Related resources
Keep researching
GI Bill heavy equipment operator schoolsSchools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.comVerified CDL training schoolsMany equipment jobs also involve hauling machines; compare CDL programs. · VerifiedCDLSchools.comRegistered apprenticeships in FloridaThe full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com
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; data tables). 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, 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).
- 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; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
- 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).
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.