Minnesota

Operating Engineer programs in Minnesota

4 listed heavy equipment operator programs in Minnesota, plus BLS pay data for the state and 9 metro areas.

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$79,070Average pay (state, all experience levels)
$55,960Entry-level / bottom 10%
$79,130Median pay (state)
$101,930Top 10% earn over

8,590 jobs in Minnesota · 4 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

BLS wage data

Operating Engineer pay in Minnesota

Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
Minnesota	$55,960	$63,310	$79,130	$95,740	$101,930	$79,070	8,590
United States	$42,190	$48,680	$59,850	$77,170	$101,090	$66,290	478,090

Metro areas

Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$60,100	$69,990	$83,340	$100,820	$104,250	$84,200	4,270
Rochester, MN	$61,790	$64,730	$79,580	$94,730	$97,610	$80,160	290
St. Cloud, MN	$58,980	$62,630	$79,530	$98,390	$98,390	$78,110	700
Mankato, MN	$51,010	$63,090	$78,560	$88,140	$91,730	$75,250	150
Duluth, MN-WI	$47,790	$62,170	$75,040	$83,790	$95,140	$73,300	770
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$48,660	$59,070	$71,430	$93,120	$100,140	$72,830	120
Fargo, ND-MN	$48,350	$54,830	$61,690	$72,420	$81,570	$64,150	960
Grand Forks, ND-MN	$49,000	$58,180	$61,520	$73,020	$95,570	$66,150	370
Sioux Falls, SD-MN	$48,310	$56,380	$60,960	$64,760	$77,180	$62,140	630

Programs

Listed programs in Minnesota

Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Minnesota. Schools with published tuition are listed first.

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.
Program / provider	Location	Type	Graduates 2023-24	Tuition	Source
Central Lakes College-Brainerd Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation	Brainerd, MN	Certificate (2-4 years)	48	$6,476 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202
IUOE Local #49	Hinkley, MN	Registered apprenticeship sponsor	n/a	Contact program	DOL Office of Apprenticeship
IUOE Local #49 Nd	Hinckley, MN	Registered apprenticeship sponsor	n/a	Contact program	DOL Office of Apprenticeship
MN Operating Engineers JAC	Hinckley, MN	Registered apprenticeship sponsor	n/a	Contact program	DOL Office of Apprenticeship

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GI Bill heavy equipment operator schoolsSchools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com Verified CDL training schoolsMany equipment jobs also involve hauling machines; compare CDL programs. · VerifiedCDLSchools.com Registered apprenticeships in MinnesotaThe full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com

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; data tables). 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, 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).
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; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
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).

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.