--- title: "Operating Engineer Programs in Minnesota: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/minnesota/ description: "Operating Engineer pay in Minnesota: BLS average $79,070 (all experience levels), median $79,130, bottom 10% $55,960. 4 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. Minnesota 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. - **$79,070** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$55,960** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$79,130** Median pay (state) - **$101,930** Top 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 - [Hinckley 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/minnesota/hinckley/) - [Brainerd 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/minnesota/brainerd/) - [Hinkley 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/minnesota/hinkley/) BLS wage data ## Operating Engineer pay in Minnesota 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 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 | Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. ### Metro areas | 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 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Minnesota Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in Minnesota. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Central Lakes College-Brainerd](https://www.clcmn.edu/) 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 | 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 - [Hinckley 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/minnesota/hinckley/) - [Brainerd 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/minnesota/brainerd/) - [Hinkley 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/operating-engineer/minnesota/hinkley/) 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 Minnesota** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/mn/) ## 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/minnesota/ 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.