An operator in the cab of an excavator scoops a bucket of earth from a mound

Heavy equipment operator training by state

223 heavy equipment operator programs in 41 states, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

145 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Compare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price 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

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

Heavy equipment operator training by state
State	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
Alabama	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Alaska	9	$8,500 to $9,000	about $27,300	77%	95%
Arizona	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Arkansas	6	$3,972 to $6,690	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
California	12	$920 to $11,610	Not reported	95%	91%
Colorado	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Delaware	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Florida	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Georgia	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Illinois	5	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Indiana	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Iowa	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Kentucky	6	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Louisiana	14	$2,275 to $5,242	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Maine	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Maryland	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Massachusetts	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Michigan	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Minnesota	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Mississippi	9	$1,631 to $3,828	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Missouri	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Montana	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nebraska	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nevada	5	$3,800 to $15,200	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Hampshire	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Jersey	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Mexico	12	$5,504 to $7,325	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
North Carolina	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
North Dakota	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Ohio	20	$5,632 to $13,004	about $31,000	81%	92%
Oklahoma	8	$3,240 to $8,130	about $34,000	Not reported	100%
Pennsylvania	10	$7,034 to $13,965	about $56,100	Not reported	97%
South Carolina	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
South Dakota	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Tennessee	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Texas	24	$2,475 to $7,962	about $61,300	67%	100%
Utah	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Virginia	13	$3,300 to $4,500	about $42,400	60%	99%
Washington	10	$11,800 to $23,500	about $79,700	84%	Not reported
West Virginia	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Wisconsin	5	$5,990 to $8,090	about $40,700	28%	93%

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

Is there free heavy equipment operator training in the US?

WIOA funding can pay for heavy equipment operator training in the US

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Or pay for heavy equipment operator training yourself

Without funding, prices differ by state: most heavy equipment operator programs cost $1,631 to $3,828 in Mississippi and $11,800 to $23,500 in Washington. Each state's page lists every program with its price.

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

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).⁵ 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 too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

Sources for the facts about heavy equipment operator training

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