Heavy equipment operator training in Minnesota

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

2 schools offer these heavy equipment operator programs, and Minnesota 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 Minnesota, 1 of the 2 programs takes students without a high school diploma and 1 asks for a diploma or equivalent.

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

See the 2 programs

How much does heavy equipment operator training cost in Minnesota?

$900 to $10,486

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

These two programs

Finished the program: 85%
Working 6 months later: 76%
Earned a year, estimated: about $48,300
Length: 15 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 Minnesota may also offer heavy equipment operator training. How these figures are made

Is there free heavy equipment operator training in Minnesota?

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.²³⁴
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 $900 to $10,486.

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

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

2 programs

Heavy equipment operator courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Heavy Equipment Operation and Maintenance
Central Lakes College
Staples
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Central Lakes College, StaplesHeavy equipment operator course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$48,300
Price if you pay yourself$10,486
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operation and Maintenance at Central Lakes College
More details about Heavy Equipment Operation and Maintenance at Central Lakes College
Finished
85%
Working at 6 months
76%
Earned in a quarter
$12,086
Length
Left out
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
358
Earned a year, estimated
$48,300
Price if you pay yourself
$10,486
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operation and Maintenance at Central Lakes College
Heavy equipment operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
Equipment Operator
Takoda Institute of Higher Education
Minneapolis
No diploma needed
Takoda Institute of Higher Education, MinneapolisHeavy equipment operator courseIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$900
Program website, Equipment Operator at Takoda Institute of Higher Education
More details about Equipment Operator at Takoda Institute of Higher Education
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
15 weeks, 7 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$900
Program website, Equipment Operator at Takoda Institute of Higher Education

How to pay for heavy equipment operator training in Minnesota

WIOA funding can pay for heavy equipment operator training in Minnesota

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.

Other training in Minnesota

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

Where the Minnesota heavy equipment operator program numbers come from

Which Minnesota heavy equipment operator programs are on this list?

These are the heavy equipment operator programs Minnesota 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 Minnesota offers.

How the prices and results of Minnesota 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 Minnesota

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