Tennessee

Operating Engineer programs in Tennessee

3 listed heavy equipment operator programs in Tennessee, plus BLS pay data for the state and 10 metro areas.

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$55,050Average pay (state, all experience levels)
$41,600Entry-level / bottom 10%
$52,000Median pay (state)
$75,430Top 10% earn over

10,660 jobs in Tennessee · 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

BLS wage data

Operating Engineer pay in Tennessee

Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
Tennessee	$41,600	$46,490	$52,000	$59,360	$75,430	$55,050	10,660
United States	$42,190	$48,680	$59,850	$77,170	$101,090	$66,290	478,090

Metro areas

Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$46,630	$49,470	$56,030	$60,560	$73,900	$57,270	3,820
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA	$41,010	$44,700	$55,960	$75,430	$76,390	$57,900	770
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$40,560	$45,510	$53,870	$62,150	$72,790	$55,080	1,140
Clarksville, TN-KY	$40,600	$45,290	$50,910	$58,870	$68,740	$53,750	420
Chattanooga, TN-GA	$40,370	$45,250	$50,320	$59,840	$77,320	$54,870	750
Knoxville, TN	$41,790	$44,130	$48,690	$57,700	$78,520	$53,450	1,210
Cleveland, TN	$38,600	$45,540	$48,210	$56,160	$64,600	$51,350	160
Morristown, TN	$38,400	$43,120	$48,170	$56,880	$58,650	$49,950	220
Johnson City, TN	$38,400	$44,440	$47,560	$55,660	$63,750	$50,120	200
Jackson, TN	$37,990	$40,870	$47,240	$55,570	$64,270	$50,290	270

Programs

Listed programs in Tennessee

Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Tennessee. Schools with published tuition are listed first.

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.
Program / provider	Location	Type	Graduates 2023-24	Tuition	Source
International Union of Operating Engineers Local #917	Niota, TN	Registered apprenticeship sponsor	n/a	Contact program	DOL Office of Apprenticeship
IUOE Local 369 Training Fund	Cordova, TN	Registered apprenticeship sponsor	n/a	Contact program	DOL Office of Apprenticeship
Operating Engineers Local No. 917 Apprenticeship & Training Fund	Knoxville, TN	Registered apprenticeship sponsor	n/a	Contact program	DOL Office of Apprenticeship

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GI Bill heavy equipment operator schoolsSchools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com Verified CDL training schoolsMany equipment jobs also involve hauling machines; compare CDL programs. · VerifiedCDLSchools.com Registered apprenticeships in TennesseeThe 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.