--- title: "Operating Engineer Programs in North Carolina: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/north-carolina/ description: "Operating Engineer pay in North Carolina: BLS average $52,310 (all experience levels), median $49,310, bottom 10% $39,050. 3 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. North Carolina North Carolina # Operating Engineer programs in *North Carolina* 3 listed heavy equipment operator programs in North Carolina, plus BLS pay data for the state and 16 metro areas. - **$52,310** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$39,050** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$49,310** Median pay (state) - **$64,450** Top 10% earn over 16,580 jobs in North Carolina · 3 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 - [Albemarle 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/north-carolina/albemarle/) - [Durham 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/north-carolina/durham/) BLS wage data ## Operating Engineer pay in North Carolina 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | North Carolina | $39,050 | $45,700 | $49,310 | $57,870 | $64,450 | $52,310 | 16,580 | | 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $39,500 | $47,870 | $52,060 | $61,100 | $73,700 | $55,080 | 2,150 | | Burlington, NC | $40,060 | $46,180 | $51,570 | $54,350 | $61,980 | $51,740 | 200 | | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $40,540 | $47,950 | $51,110 | $59,690 | $65,970 | $54,460 | 3,080 | | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $41,970 | $47,710 | $50,870 | $59,230 | $70,400 | $55,090 | 4,440 | | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $39,690 | $47,030 | $50,820 | $61,610 | $71,240 | $55,020 | 480 | | Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $38,820 | $43,670 | $50,210 | $57,330 | $60,470 | $50,690 | 90 | | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $39,050 | $44,800 | $49,310 | $53,300 | $62,800 | $51,270 | 1,080 | | Rocky Mount, NC | $37,420 | $43,340 | $48,640 | $54,210 | $58,250 | $49,750 | 170 | | Fayetteville, NC | $39,900 | $45,750 | $48,390 | $59,210 | $66,580 | $52,230 | 440 | | Asheville, NC | $39,420 | $45,370 | $47,970 | $51,770 | $61,430 | $50,070 | 510 | | Greenville, NC | $38,310 | $43,610 | $47,940 | $56,230 | $65,500 | $51,010 | 210 | | Wilmington, NC | $37,300 | $44,830 | $47,910 | $56,420 | $62,050 | $49,990 | 790 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in North Carolina Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in North Carolina. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Stanly Community College](https://www.stanly.edu/) Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Albemarle, NC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | $2,681–$8,825 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 | | [Stanly Community College](https://www.stanly.edu/) Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Albemarle, NC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 1 | $2,681–$8,825 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 | | IUOE Local 465 | Durham, NC | 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 - [Albemarle 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/north-carolina/albemarle/) - [Durham 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/north-carolina/durham/) 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 North Carolina** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/nc/) ## 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/north-carolina/ 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.