Crane operator training in Missouri

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

2 schools offer these crane operator programs, and Missouri 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 Missouri, all 4 programs take students without a high school diploma.

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 Missouri?

$2,000 to $14,995

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

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
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 Missouri may also offer crane operator training. How these figures are made

Is there free crane operator training in Missouri?

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.³⁴⁵
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 $2,000 to $14,995.

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

All 4 crane operator programs in Missouri approved for WIOA funding

4 programs

Rigger and signal person courseIn personNo diploma needed
Nccco Rigger/Signalperson
Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie, WI
No diploma needed
Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie, Sun Prairie, WIRigger and signal person courseIn person · No diploma needed
Classes are outside Missouri; Missouri approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$2,000
Program website, Nccco Rigger/Signalperson at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
More details about Nccco Rigger/Signalperson at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
1 week, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$120
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$2,000
Program website, Nccco Rigger/Signalperson at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Mobile crane operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
Mobile Crane Operations
Performance Training Solutions, Llc
Thornville, OH
No diploma needed
Performance Training Solutions, Llc, Thornville, OHMobile crane operator courseIn person · No diploma needed
Classes are outside Missouri; Missouri approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,495
Program website, Mobile Crane Operations at Performance Training Solutions, Llc
More details about Mobile Crane Operations at Performance Training Solutions, Llc
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
3 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,495
Program website, Mobile Crane Operations at Performance Training Solutions, Llc
Mobile crane operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
Mobile Crane Operations - I
Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie, WI
No diploma needed
Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie, Sun Prairie, WIMobile crane operator courseIn person · No diploma needed
Classes are outside Missouri; Missouri approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$7,995
Program website, Mobile Crane Operations - I at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
More details about Mobile Crane Operations - I at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
3 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$450
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$7,995
Program website, Mobile Crane Operations - I at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Mobile crane operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
Mobile Crane Operations - II
Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie, WI
No diploma needed
Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie, Sun Prairie, WIMobile crane operator courseIn person · No diploma needed
Classes are outside Missouri; Missouri approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$14,995
Program website, Mobile Crane Operations - II at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
More details about Mobile Crane Operations - II at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
6 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$810
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$14,995
Program website, Mobile Crane Operations - II at Ats (associated Training Services) Sun Prairie

How to pay for crane operator training in Missouri

WIOA funding can pay for crane operator training in Missouri

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 Madison, Columbus and other Missouri cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Missouri

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

Where the Missouri crane operator program numbers come from

Which Missouri crane operator programs are on this list?

These are the crane operator programs Missouri 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 Missouri offers.

How the prices and results of Missouri 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 Missouri

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