Heavy equipment operator training in Florida

2 heavy equipment operator programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these heavy equipment operator programs, and Florida has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

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

In Florida, both programs take students without a high school diploma.

Both are the same kind of program: heavy equipment operator course.

See the 2 programs

How much does heavy equipment operator training cost in Florida?

$6,950 to $11,999

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: 88%
Working 6 months later: 28%
Earned a year, estimated: about $24,100
Length: 4 to 10 weeks

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

Is there free heavy equipment operator training in Florida?

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.²³⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 36 people at 1 of the 2 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $6,950 to $11,999.

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

All 2 heavy equipment operator programs in Florida approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Heavy equipment operator courseHybridNo diploma needed
Heavy Equipment Operations
Valencia College - Cont Educ-CSCF
Orlando
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Valencia College - Cont Educ-CSCF, OrlandoHeavy equipment operator course · Accredited schoolHybrid · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$24,100
Price if you pay yourself$6,950
36 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operations at Valencia College - Cont Educ-CSCF
More details about Heavy Equipment Operations at Valencia College - Cont Educ-CSCF
Finished
88%
Working at 6 months
28%
Earned in a quarter
$6,025
Length
10 weeks, 32 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
129
Earned a year, estimated
$24,100
Price if you pay yourself
$6,950
students trained with WIOA funding
36
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operations at Valencia College - Cont Educ-CSCF
Heavy equipment operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
Heavy Equipment Operators Program-Cd4
National Training, Inc.-Is
Green Cove Springs
No diploma needed
National Training, Inc.-Is, Green Cove SpringsHeavy equipment operator courseIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$11,999
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operators Program-Cd4 at National Training, Inc.-Is
More details about Heavy Equipment Operators Program-Cd4 at National Training, Inc.-Is
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
4 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$75
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$11,999
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operators Program-Cd4 at National Training, Inc.-Is

How to pay for heavy equipment operator training in Florida

WIOA funding can pay for heavy equipment operator training in Florida

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 heavy equipment 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.⁶⁷

GI Bill for heavy equipment operator training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

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

Heavy equipment operator training in Orlando, Jacksonville and other Florida cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Florida

How heavy equipment operator training compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Florida

Where the Florida heavy equipment operator program numbers come from

Which Florida heavy equipment operator programs are on this list?

These are the heavy equipment operator programs Florida 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).⁹ 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 Florida offers.

How the prices and results of Florida heavy equipment 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 heavy equipment operator training in Florida

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