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Heavy equipment operator training by state

215 heavy equipment operator programs in 43 states, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved heavy equipment operator training?

147 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does a heavy equipment operator do, and how do you become one?

Heavy equipment operators drive and control the machines that build roads, bridges and buildings. Most have a high school diploma and learn on the job or in a three- or four-year apprenticeship, and many need a commercial driver's license to haul their equipment between jobsites.1

Approved programsup to 23 to 45 to 7more than 7

How much does heavy equipment operator training cost?

Most heavy equipment operator programs approved for WIOA funding cost $3,526 to $9,999 if you pay yourself. Prices also differ by state: most cost $1,125 to $3,700 in Mississippi and $11,800 to $26,500 in Washington.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare heavy equipment operator training by state: cost, pay and results

Heavy equipment operator training by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alabama1Too few figures to show
Alaska9$8,500 to $9,000about $27,30077%95%
Arizona2Too few figures to show
Arkansas7$4,679 to $7,193Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
California12$920 to $11,610Not enough data95%91%
Colorado3Too few figures to show
Delaware1Too few figures to show
Florida2Too few figures to show
Georgia4Too few figures to show
Illinois5Left outNot reportedNot reportedNot reported
Indiana3Too few figures to show
Iowa4Too few figures to show
Kentucky6Too few figures to show
Louisiana13$2,200 to $5,500Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Maine1Too few figures to show
Maryland1Too few figures to show
Massachusetts4Too few figures to show
Michigan4Too few figures to show
Minnesota2Too few figures to show
Mississippi10$1,125 to $3,700Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft out
Missouri4Too few figures to show
Montana1Too few figures to show
Nebraska1Too few figures to show
Nevada5$3,800 to $15,200Not reportedNot reportedNot enough data
New Hampshire1Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
New Jersey1Too few figures to show
New Mexico12$5,504 to $7,325Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft out
New York2Too few figures to show
North Carolina4Too few figures to show
North Dakota1Too few figures to show
Ohio20$5,632 to $13,004about $31,00081%92%
Oklahoma8$3,240 to $8,130about $34,000Left out100%
Pennsylvania10$7,034 to $13,965about $56,100Left out97%
South Carolina2Too few figures to show
South Dakota2Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Tennessee4Too few figures to show
Texas11$3,576 to $8,866Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Utah3Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Vermont1Too few figures to show
Virginia13$3,300 to $4,500about $42,40060%99%
Washington9$11,800 to $26,500Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
West Virginia2Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Wisconsin4Too few figures to show

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer heavy equipment operator training too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Heavy equipment operator school: what the 215 programs are

By kind, the 215 programs approved for WIOA funding are heavy equipment operator course (171 programs), single machine course (19 programs), heavy equipment with CDL (14 programs), heavy equipment operator apprenticeship (8 programs), and 3 more of one other kind.

Across the US, 118 of the 215 programs take students without a high school diploma, 84 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 13 ask for earlier courses first.

Is there free heavy equipment operator training in the US?

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the heavy equipment operator program numbers by state come from

Which heavy equipment operator programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).6 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about heavy equipment operator training

Show the 6 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Equipment Operators
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List