--- title: "Operating Engineer Programs in Virginia: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/virginia/ description: "Operating Engineer pay in Virginia: BLS average $58,400 (all experience levels), median $57,160, bottom 10% $40,870. 1 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. Virginia Virginia # Operating Engineer programs in *Virginia* 1 listed heavy equipment operator program in Virginia, plus BLS pay data for the state and 11 metro areas. - **$58,400** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$40,870** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$57,160** Median pay (state) - **$78,250** Top 10% earn over 12,100 jobs in Virginia · 1 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 - [Disputanta 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/virginia/disputanta/) BLS wage data ## Operating Engineer pay in Virginia 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Virginia | $40,870 | $48,040 | $57,160 | $63,330 | $78,250 | $58,400 | 12,100 | | 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $46,580 | $54,760 | $61,660 | $72,940 | $84,180 | $64,850 | 6,450 | | Charlottesville, VA | $45,570 | $50,380 | $59,790 | $63,310 | $85,700 | $61,460 | 310 | | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $41,010 | $44,700 | $55,960 | $75,430 | $76,390 | $57,900 | 770 | | Richmond, VA | $40,650 | $48,010 | $55,280 | $61,890 | $74,400 | $56,620 | 2,220 | | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $39,500 | $47,870 | $52,060 | $61,100 | $73,700 | $55,080 | 2,150 | | Winchester, VA-WV | $39,020 | $45,800 | $50,790 | $59,210 | $62,460 | $52,470 | 260 | | Lynchburg, VA | $36,960 | $45,550 | $50,100 | $58,600 | $72,890 | $54,660 | 230 | | Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $38,260 | $44,820 | $50,030 | $60,060 | $74,350 | $54,090 | — | | Harrisonburg, VA | $39,880 | $48,770 | $49,670 | $59,010 | $63,880 | $52,330 | 260 | | Roanoke, VA | $37,860 | $45,830 | $49,010 | $58,040 | $70,670 | $52,630 | 480 | | Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $37,460 | $40,240 | $48,750 | $57,990 | $63,680 | $51,470 | 160 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Virginia Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Virginia. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | JAC Operating Engineers - Local 147 | Disputanta, VA | 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 - [Disputanta 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/virginia/disputanta/) 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 Virginia** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/va/) ## 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/virginia/ 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.