Crane operator training in Virginia

4 crane operator programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

3 schools offer these crane operator programs, and Virginia has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Crane and tower operators lift and move materials, machinery and other heavy loads, usually guided by signals from workers on the ground. Training can take several months, many operators first spend years running other construction equipment or working as riggers and signalers, and some states and cities require a crane operator license.¹ On construction sites, federal rules require employers to make sure each crane operator is certified, by an accredited testing organization, or licensed before running most cranes, and the employer must provide that certification at no cost to the worker.²

In Virginia, 3 of the 4 programs take students without a high school diploma and 1 asks for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 4 programs here are mobile crane operator course (3 programs) and rigger and signal person course (1 program).

See the 4 programs

How much does crane operator training cost in Virginia?

$975 to $7,650

is what the 4 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Length: Not enough data; 4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Virginia may also offer crane operator training. How these figures are made

Is there free crane operator training in Virginia?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.³⁴⁵In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 19 people at 1 of the 4 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁶ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁵
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $975 to $7,650.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 4 crane operator programs in Virginia approved for WIOA funding

4 programs

Rigger and signal person courseIn personNo diploma needed
Entry-Level Rigging Course
QED Systems, Inc. Center for Training and Development
Norfolk
No diploma needed
QED Systems, Inc. Center for Training and Development, NorfolkRigger and signal person courseIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$975
More details about Entry-Level Rigging Course at QED Systems, Inc. Center for Training and Development
Finished
100%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
1 week, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
65
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$975
Mobile crane operator courseHybridNo diploma needed
Crane Operator Training
Thompson Crane LLC
Waverly
No diploma needed
Thompson Crane LLC, WaverlyMobile crane operator courseHybrid · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,000
19 students trained with WIOA funding
More details about Crane Operator Training at Thompson Crane LLC
Finished
88%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
3 weeks, 26 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$360
Students counted
19
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,000
students trained with WIOA funding
19
Mobile crane operator courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Mobile Crane Operator
Crane Edge, LLC
Milton, WV
High school diploma or equivalent
Crane Edge, LLC, Milton, WVMobile crane operator courseIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Virginia; Virginia approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$4,500
More details about Mobile Crane Operator at Crane Edge, LLC
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
1 week, 50 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$4,500
Mobile crane operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
National Commission Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO)
Thompson Crane LLC
Spring Grove
No diploma needed
Thompson Crane LLC, Spring GroveMobile crane operator courseIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$7,650
More details about National Commission Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) at Thompson Crane LLC
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
3 weeks, 27 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$7,650

How to pay for crane operator training in Virginia

WIOA funding can pay for crane operator training in Virginia

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for crane operator training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for crane operator training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Crane operator training in Virginia Beach, Richmond, Huntington and other Virginia cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Virginia

How crane operator training compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Virginia

Where the Virginia crane operator program numbers come from

Which Virginia crane operator programs are on this list?

These are the crane operator programs Virginia approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Virginia offers.

How the prices and results of Virginia crane operator programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about crane operator training in Virginia

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