--- title: "Operating Engineer Programs in Iowa: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/iowa/ description: "Operating Engineer pay in Iowa: BLS average $63,770 (all experience levels), median $60,330, bottom 10% $46,690. 3 listed programs." updated: 2026-11-03 wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15" --- 1. [Home](https://highpayingtrades.com/) 2. [Trades](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/) 3. [Operating Engineer](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/) 4. Iowa Iowa # Operating Engineer programs in *Iowa* 3 listed heavy equipment operator programs in Iowa, plus BLS pay data for the state and 9 metro areas. - **$63,770** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$46,690** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$60,330** Median pay (state) - **$87,460** Top 10% earn over 5,530 jobs in Iowa · 3 listed programs. Average = BLS mean across all experience levels, not starting pay. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Cities with listed programs - [Sheldon 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/iowa/sheldon/) - [Indianola 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/iowa/indianola/) BLS wage data ## Operating Engineer pay in Iowa Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Iowa | $46,690 | $53,610 | $60,330 | $72,660 | $87,460 | $63,770 | 5,530 | | United States | $42,190 | $48,680 | $59,850 | $77,170 | $101,090 | $66,290 | 478,090 | Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. ### Metro areas | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $55,130 | $61,740 | $97,770 | $97,770 | $97,770 | $82,640 | 420 | | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $42,910 | $53,470 | $64,850 | $85,210 | $97,050 | $68,940 | 570 | | Cedar Rapids, IA | $49,430 | $58,240 | $63,310 | $73,420 | $86,720 | $65,400 | 490 | | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $46,710 | $58,290 | $62,610 | $78,250 | $82,970 | $66,340 | 1,260 | | Ames, IA | $48,490 | $55,690 | $62,400 | $66,050 | $80,640 | $62,770 | 190 | | Dubuque, IA | $48,660 | $56,000 | $62,250 | $73,880 | $91,490 | $64,840 | 160 | | Iowa City, IA | $49,990 | $56,620 | $60,530 | $71,010 | $79,080 | $63,080 | 210 | | Omaha, NE-IA | $46,870 | $50,200 | $60,020 | $65,600 | $77,920 | $61,090 | 1,380 | | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $46,940 | $51,220 | $59,140 | $63,070 | $73,030 | $59,840 | 200 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Iowa Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Iowa. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Northwest Iowa Community College](https://www.nwicc.edu/) Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Sheldon, IA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 11 | $7,500–$7,800 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 | | [Northwest Iowa Community College](https://www.nwicc.edu/) Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation | Sheldon, IA | Associate degree | 0 | $7,500–$7,800 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202 | | Operating Engineers LU 234 | Indianola, IA | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | Schools: NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code; “Graduates 2023-24” is the number of first-major certificates or associate degrees the school awarded in that program from July 2023 to June 2024 (IPEDS). Tuition: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (updated 2026-10-15), matched by IPEDS unit ID; it is the published figure, not a quote. Apprenticeship sponsors: DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file (retrieved 2026-10-29); apprenticeships are typically paid, so no tuition is listed — contact the program. ### Browse by city - [Sheldon 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/iowa/sheldon/) - [Indianola 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/iowa/indianola/) Related resources ## Keep researching [**GI Bill heavy equipment operator schools** Schools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com](https://veterantradeschools.com/heavy-equipment-operator/) [**Verified CDL training schools** Many equipment jobs also involve hauling machines; compare CDL programs. · VerifiedCDLSchools.com](https://verifiedcdlschools.com/) [**Registered apprenticeships in Iowa** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/ia/) ## Sources - **Wages:** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 ([news release USDL-26-0725](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm); [data tables](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm)). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03. - **Occupation:** O\*NET OnLine, [47-2073.00 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2073.00), retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0). - **Apprenticeship sponsors:** U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 ([Partner Finder](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/partner-finder)). - **Schools & graduates:** U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024\_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code ([completions file](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/data/C2024_A.zip); [CIP-SOC crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Files/CIP2020_SOC2018_Crosswalk.xlsx)). - **Tuition:** U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID ([source](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/)). Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03. --- Canonical HTML: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/iowa/ Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm). Programs: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions; DOL Office of Apprenticeship. Tuition: College Scorecard.