Crane operator training in California

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

2 schools offer these crane operator programs, and California 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 California, 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: mobile crane operator course.

See the 2 programs

How much does crane operator training cost in California?

$480 to $11,417

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

These two programs

Finished the program: 100%
Working 6 months later: 88%
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; Neither program reports it
Length: 3 to 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 California may also offer crane operator training. How these figures are made

Is there free crane operator training in California?

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 3 people at 1 of the 2 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 $480 to $11,417.

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

All 2 crane operator programs in California approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Mobile crane operator courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Certificate of Heavy Equipment Operations - Mobile Crane
Heavy Equipment Colleges of America
San Bernardino
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Heavy Equipment Colleges of America, San BernardinoMobile crane operator course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$11,417
3 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Certificate of Heavy Equipment Operations - Mobile Crane at Heavy Equipment Colleges of America
More details about Certificate of Heavy Equipment Operations - Mobile Crane at Heavy Equipment Colleges of America
Finished
100%
Working at 6 months
88%
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
3 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$105
Students counted
104
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$11,417
students trained with WIOA funding
3
Program website, Certificate of Heavy Equipment Operations - Mobile Crane at Heavy Equipment Colleges of America
Mobile crane operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
Mobile Crane Operations (Level 1)
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Training Academy
Bakersfield
No diploma needed
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Training Academy, BakersfieldMobile crane operator courseIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$480
More details about Mobile Crane Operations (Level 1) at Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Training Academy
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
15 weeks, 5 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$1,319
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$480

How to pay for crane operator training in California

WIOA funding can pay for crane operator training in California

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 Riverside, Bakersfield and other California cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in California

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

Where the California crane operator program numbers come from

Which California crane operator programs are on this list?

These are the crane operator programs California 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 California offers.

How the prices and results of California 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 California

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