How Much Does Heavy Equipment Operator Training Cost?Heavy equipment operators are trained to drive different types of machinery such as bulldozers, cranes, scrapers, loaders, backhoes, excavators, and rollers. Since you will be dealing with big and heavy machines, training is required and there is an associated cost with it.

How Much Does Heavy Equipment Operator Training Cost? It is the most common question a beginner may ask.

It Isn’t Cheap!

The training cost could amount to $4,000 to $12,000 to complete the course.

And because of this staggering amount involved, you might be thinking, are there any payment options available if you don’t have the money. We discuss the payment options below.

You might find the amount of tuition and fees of taking the training is significantly high, but when you think about the paycheck you can make, you can easily recuperate the investment. The typical annual salary of a heavy equipment operator is around $46,000 per year. You get a quick return on your money.

Aside from that, the education you will get is a great future investment, especially if you are working in a construction site and infrastructure project where the demand for heavy equipment operators steadily increases, you can easily ask for a job promotion or a pay increase.

Here are some helpful resources in helping you become a certified heavy equipment operator:

There's more:

 

 

Cost of Tuition of the Heavy Equipment Operator Schools

The heavy equipment operator training cost will depend on the school. Every school has its own training packages and curriculums. The cost varies also depending on the number of pieces of the heavy equipment you want to get training on and the length of the course.

The reputation of the school also affects their tuition cost.

To give you a bird’s eye view of the general market, here, we collected the tuition costs of enrolling in for heavy equipment operation course:

Training Providers Contact Details
National Training, Inc.
188 College Drive, Orange Park, FL 32065
The training ground is located in South Green Cove Spring, Florida. 
The tuition cost is $11,995
 Phone: (904) 272 – 4000, Fax: (904) 272 – 3036

 AIS Training Center
3600 N. Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI 48906
Their 6-week training program cost is $6,000 that covers four (4) types of equipment, while their 10-week training program cost is $10,000 that covers eight (8) machines. Individualized training programs for beginners and experienced people are also available.

 Phone: 517.321.8000, Fax: 517.321.9686

 North Country Heavy Equipment School, LLC
2929 16th Avenue North, Escanaba, MI
Heavy equipment operator training together with ECPT certification cost is $3,690.
 Contact 906-789-3123 (p), or via fax: 906-789-3124
Schuylkill Technology Center
101 Technology Drive, Frackville, PA
Cost and other fees for the Heavy Equipment Operator course is $9,495.00. The training course is 400 hours to complete.
 Contact them at 570-874-1034
Carolina Construction School
1456 Kershaw Camden Highway, Lancaster, SC
8-week program on two machines with NCCER curriculum, the cost is $6,170
6-week program on two types of equipment (without NCCER curriculum) is $5,125
Contact: 803-286-5533
Medical Construction Industrial Training Center
207 Bogden Blvd Suite I Box I Millville, NJ
Their heavy equipment operation course cost is $6,000 and the course length is 8 weeks.
Phone: 856-825-6655, Fax: 856-825-3336


On average, the heavy equipment operator training cost around $4,000 to $12,000 excluding some additional costs as mentioned below. If the tuition seems pricey for you, you can ask beforehand with your chosen training school if they provide discounts and other payment options to soften the cost in your pocket.

Knowing how much is the training cost will give you an estimate and prepare your budget for the tuition.

If you don’t have the cash for full payment, you can pay the heavy equipment operator training cost in an installment basis. You can negotiate with the school’s representative about this option and they will be more willing to accept you.

If you want to take the training in another state, browse our listing of heavy equipment operator schools near me.

 

 

Additional Costs

  • Learning materials such as books could be additional cost you need to shoulder, though some schools included its cost in the tuition, others may not.

  • The Commercial Driver’s License is not necessarily required to take the heavy equipment operator training but if you have your CDL you are going to be much more important job applicant for a hiring manager.
  • If you will be working with cranes, getting the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operator (NCCCO) Certification is a mandatory requirement and that would mean an additional cost for you.

  • For crane operators, the NCCCO has a list of 18 states and 6 cities that require crane operators to have such license, getting the license would mean added cost for you.

  • Application/registration and other administrative fees. The school may charge you an additional $30 as application fee and another $80 to $100 as an administrative fee.

  • The DOT Physical/Drug Test is $150. Some training schools require you to be tested for an illegal substance, therefore, taking the test is mandatory.

  • Boarding or Housing is an additional expense when taking the training. The training is not something that can be done online, 50% to 80% of the course especially the hands-on training is done in the field. Housing is necessary for the trainees whose residence is far from the training location.

Other Options You Can Avail If You Don’t Have Yet the Tuition Money

We all know that taking the heavy equipment operator training and getting the certification can be an expensive undertaking. The cost of the education to enter this profession is high but that doesn’t mean you stop attaining your dream. There are financing options that you can get to pay for the training, here are some of those.

Student Loan – If your saving or federal assistance is not enough to defray the cost of the training, the trainee can take this option. This repayment is more flexible because you can choose the option that best works for you to return the loan. Click here for Sallie Mae Student Loan.

Operator School’s In-House Loan – Applying for the school’s in-house loan could be your best choice to take. You can get an instant result if your application is approved from the school’s representative. If you are taking the heavy equipment operator training in Associated Training Services, they have this option for you, click here to check it out.

State and Federal Grant – The state or federal government recognizes the needs to help the vocation training students in achieving their employment. The students with unemployment status can be entitled to receive such financial grant.

Military Benefits – If you are uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces, the Heavy Equipment College of America has such benefit in store for you, click here to see. The school is eligible for VA education benefits, Post 9-11 GI Bill. They offer financial and housing support for you.

 

 

Discounts and Scholarship to Lessen the Training Cost

The cost of taking the training could be astounding. You may realize that the price is too high especially if you are just starting your career and don’t have yet the money to invest in.

Fortunately, there are ways to lessen the cost.

One of the ways you can take is to apply for a scholarship grant, though not all schools offer such grant. Typically, scholarship grant deducts $500 to $3,000 from the total training cost as the worth of such grant. The scholarship grant is given to the student who met certain criteria and requirements set forth by the school.

Discount can also be given to enrollees who will pay the total training amount in full. Discounts are also included to certain training packages. Like for example, if an employer enrolled a big number of their workers, the school can give the big discount.

To Wrap This Up

The demand for workers who have the skills and dexterity to operate heavy equipment is growing across the US due to the flourishing construction industry and other infrastructure projects. With the growing demand, many are looking to get into this field.

Now that I have talked about all the essentials in taking the training and how much it would cost, it is now up to you to do the next move. Prepare yourself for the cost of the training and effort you will exert.


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