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Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in Texas
Get the information you need to know about working as an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator.
You’re in luck! Jobs for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in Texas are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in Texas is growing faster than average.
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Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in Texas earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Career?
- Transportation & Materials Moving
- Ground Transportation
- Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
- Mobil Crane Operation/Operator
How Many Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Work in Texas?
42,880 people worked as Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in 2018 in this state.
There were 38,340 Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 4,540 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 5,620 Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators working in it, which means Texas has more Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators than average.
Job Projections for Texas
Jobs for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in this state are growing at a rate of 20.7% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 12.3%.
Texas Annual Job Openings
The BLS is projecting 5,160 annual Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators job openings in Texas, and 44,450 total jobs in the year 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 47,300 annual jobs and 416,900 total jobs in 2026.
What do Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Make in Texas?
In 2018 wages for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators ranged from $28,470 to $59,240 with $39,400 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $13.69 to $28.48. The median hourly rate was $18.94.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $18.45 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate grew by $0.49.
The median salary in Texas is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top Texas Metros for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 10,470 | $41,410 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,550 | $39,540 |
Austin-Round Rock, TX | 3,580 | $38,240 |
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 3,200 | $37,040 |
Corpus Christi, TX | 1,340 | $42,750 |
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 1,070 | $52,610 |
El Paso, TX | 960 | $31,320 |
Odessa, TX | 840 | $49,500 |
Midland, TX | 690 | $45,250 |
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 680 | $26,850 |
Longview, TX | 570 | $35,530 |
Killeen-Temple, TX | 490 | $33,910 |
Waco, TX | 450 | $35,930 |
College Station-Bryan, TX | 420 | $36,630 |
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 360 | $28,740 |
Amarillo, TX | 310 | $35,400 |
Abilene, TX | 310 | $34,520 |
Lubbock, TX | 270 | $39,270 |
Laredo, TX | 260 | $31,890 |
Victoria, TX | 180 | $38,550 |
Texarkana, TX-AR | 170 | $36,800 |
San Angelo, TX | 140 | $40,520 |
Wichita Falls, TX | 90 | $37,180 |
Tyler, TX | 90 | $36,750 |
Sherman-Denison, TX | 70 | $40,230 |
Top States for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Employment
View the list below to see where most Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators work.
State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Texas | 42,880 | $39,400 |
California | 28,110 | $71,120 |
Pennsylvania | 21,110 | $48,700 |
Florida | 18,720 | $37,580 |
Ohio | 15,500 | $53,060 |
New York | 13,160 | $69,590 |
North Carolina | 12,720 | $37,930 |
Georgia | 11,360 | $36,100 |
Colorado | 11,290 | $49,460 |
Illinois | 11,150 | $83,860 |
Virginia | 10,450 | $40,220 |
Minnesota | 10,010 | $64,750 |
Indiana | 9,160 | $53,790 |
Louisiana | 8,820 | $43,600 |
Washington | 8,750 | $64,880 |
Wisconsin | 7,970 | $63,320 |
Michigan | 7,870 | $52,240 |
Arizona | 7,400 | $45,930 |
Missouri | 7,290 | $51,570 |
Massachusetts | 7,010 | $60,840 |
Below are the states where Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators get paid the most:
State | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|
Illinois | $83,860 |
Hawaii | $82,000 |
New Jersey | $71,650 |
California | $71,120 |
Alaska | $70,210 |
New York | $69,590 |
Connecticut | $67,880 |
Washington | $64,880 |
Minnesota | $64,750 |
Wisconsin | $63,320 |
Related Careers in Texas
You may also be interested in the following careers:
Occupation | Texas Employment Total |
---|---|
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | 4,150 |
Pile-Driver Operators | 400 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.