--- title: "Operating Engineer Programs in Texas: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/ description: "Operating Engineer pay in Texas: BLS average $53,740 (all experience levels), median $50,460, bottom 10% $38,900. 5 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. Texas Texas # Operating Engineer programs in *Texas* 5 listed heavy equipment operator programs in Texas, plus BLS pay data for the state and 26 metro areas. - **$53,740** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$38,900** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$50,460** Median pay (state) - **$70,010** Top 10% earn over 55,540 jobs in Texas · 5 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 - [Beeville 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/beeville/) - [Crosby 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/crosby/) - [Dayton 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/dayton/) - [Fort Worth 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/fort-worth/) - [Texas City 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/texas-city/) BLS wage data ## Operating Engineer 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 | $38,900 | $46,120 | $50,460 | $59,990 | $70,010 | $53,740 | 55,540 | | 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Midland, TX | $46,010 | $49,720 | $57,900 | $62,600 | $77,100 | $58,070 | 1,150 | | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $39,430 | $46,660 | $56,850 | $60,850 | $75,830 | $56,690 | 1,120 | | Odessa, TX | $43,490 | $48,110 | $55,430 | $61,640 | $73,010 | $57,120 | 670 | | Sherman-Denison, TX | $40,310 | $43,930 | $53,380 | $62,380 | $72,550 | $54,270 | 180 | | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $41,700 | $47,730 | $51,370 | $60,400 | $71,080 | $55,140 | 11,510 | | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $39,170 | $46,810 | $51,040 | $61,900 | $71,960 | $55,410 | 14,000 | | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $40,420 | $48,020 | $50,960 | $61,120 | $71,390 | $54,790 | 5,010 | | Abilene, TX | $36,920 | $43,830 | $49,500 | $59,790 | $62,400 | $51,290 | 230 | | Amarillo, TX | $38,830 | $44,540 | $48,850 | $59,760 | $67,550 | $52,460 | 490 | | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $39,840 | $46,070 | $48,750 | $58,830 | $70,040 | $52,990 | 3,980 | | Corpus Christi, TX | $38,420 | $46,020 | $48,320 | $58,500 | $67,010 | $53,110 | 1,160 | | San Angelo, TX | $36,090 | $37,260 | $48,120 | $57,960 | $64,100 | $49,580 | 210 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Texas Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Texas. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Coastal Bend College](https://www.coastalbend.edu/) Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Beeville, TX | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 30 | $2,916–$5,226 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 | | International Union of Operating Engineers ITEC | Crosby, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | IUOE Local 178 Jat | Fort Worth, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | IUOE Local Union 450 Apprenticeship and Training Fund | Texas City, TX | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | | IUOE LU 450 Apprenticeship and Training Fund | Dayton, 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 - [Beeville 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/beeville/) - [Crosby 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/crosby/) - [Dayton 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/dayton/) - [Fort Worth 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/texas/fort-worth/) - [Texas City 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/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/) [**Verified CDL training schools** Many equipment jobs also involve hauling machines; compare CDL programs. · 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, [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/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.