Heavy equipment operator training in Georgia

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

2 schools offer these heavy equipment operator programs, and Georgia 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 Georgia, 1 of the 4 programs takes students without a high school diploma.

See the 4 programs

How much does heavy equipment operator training cost in Georgia?

$3,086 to $11,960

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

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not enough data
Working 6 months later: Not enough data
Earned a year, estimated: Not enough data
Length: Not enough data

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

Is there free heavy equipment operator training in Georgia?

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 69 people at 4 of the 4 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 $3,086 to $11,960.

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

All 4 heavy equipment operator programs in Georgia approved for WIOA funding

4 programs

Heavy equipment operator courseIn personNo diploma needed
Heavy Equipment Operations - Level 1
Heavy Equipment College of America
Stonecrest
No diploma needed
Heavy Equipment College of America, Stonecrest · Heavy equipment operator course · In person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$37,800
Price if you pay yourself$10,902
15 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operations - Level 1 at Heavy Equipment College of America
More details about Heavy Equipment Operations - Level 1 at Heavy Equipment College of America
Finished
97%
Working at 6 months
74%
Earned in a quarter
$9,444
Length
3 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
318
a year, estimated
$37,800
price
$10,902
trained with WIOA funding
15
Heavy equipment operator courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Heavy Equipment Operation Level II
Heavy Equipment College of America
Stonecrest
High school diploma or equivalent
Heavy Equipment College of America, Stonecrest · Heavy equipment operator course · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$44,400
Price if you pay yourself$11,960
5 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Heavy Equipment Operation Level II at Heavy Equipment College of America
More details about Heavy Equipment Operation Level II at Heavy Equipment College of America
Finished
96%
Working at 6 months
70%
Earned in a quarter
$11,099
Length
26 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
214
a year, estimated
$44,400
price
$11,960
trained with WIOA funding
5
Heavy equipment operator courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Construction Heavy Equipment Operator
Haliburton Heavy Equipment Operator School
Atlanta
High school diploma or equivalent
Haliburton Heavy Equipment Operator School, Atlanta · Heavy equipment operator course · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$39,300
Price if you pay yourself$6,500
27 students trained with WIOA funding
More details about Construction Heavy Equipment Operator at Haliburton Heavy Equipment Operator School
Finished
100%
Working at 6 months
36%
Earned in a quarter
$9,826
Length
6 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$500
Students counted
70
a year, estimated
$39,300
price
$6,500
trained with WIOA funding
27
Heavy equipment operator courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Heavy Equipment Ops Training
Heavy Equipment College of America
Stonecrest
High school diploma or equivalent
Heavy Equipment College of America, Stonecrest · Heavy equipment operator course · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$33,900
Price if you pay yourself$3,086
22 students trained with WIOA funding
School website, Heavy Equipment Ops Training at Heavy Equipment College of America
More details about Heavy Equipment Ops Training at Heavy Equipment College of America
Finished
86%
Working at 6 months
84%
Earned in a quarter
$8,466
Length
12 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
23
a year, estimated
$33,900
price
$3,086
trained with WIOA funding
22

How to pay for heavy equipment operator training in Georgia

WIOA funding can pay for heavy equipment operator training in Georgia

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

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.

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

Where the Georgia heavy equipment operator program numbers come from

Which Georgia heavy equipment operator programs are on this list?

These are the heavy equipment operator programs Georgia 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 Georgia offers.

How the prices and results of Georgia heavy equipment operator programs are measured

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Results describe students who left the program in recent years, and the yearly earnings figure is the reported quarter times four, an estimate. They describe past students, so they are no guarantee. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported". Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about heavy equipment operator training in Georgia

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