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Heavy equipment operator apprenticeships: what they pay, state by state
U.S. Department of Labor records list 7,364 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (SOC 47-2073). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $17.54 an hour in Michigan to $30.98 in California, across the 17 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts.
Apprentice counts and wages by state
The most are in California (1,208), Illinois (881), Ohio (788), Indiana (715), Minnesota (573). Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $27.98 an hour in Pennsylvania to $55.30 in Illinois, across the 7 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage; the counts are shown for every state with an active apprentice in fiscal 2024.
| State | Active, fiscal 2024 | Started, fiscal 2023 | Median starting wage | Median completing wage | BLS median, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,208 | 494 | $30.98 | $43.84 | $41.90 |
| Illinois | 881 | 270 | $27.70 | $55.30 | $46.99 |
| Ohio | 788 | 220 | $20.22 | $40.44 | $31.22 |
| Indiana | 715 | 328 | $27.59 | $40.55 | $38.26 |
| Minnesota | 573 | 245 | $27.53 | $39.33 | $38.04 |
| Michigan | 397 | 115 | $17.54 | $34.20 | $30.14 |
| Missouri | 315 | 140 | $28.17 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.10 |
| Pennsylvania | 249 | 99 | $20.99 | $27.98 | $29.10 |
| Texas | 210 | 67 | $19.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $24.26 |
| Florida | 199 | 104 | $21.89 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.75 |
| Nevada | 184 | 77 | $26.60 | fewer than 50 wages | $34.33 |
| Arizona | 180 | 128 | $23.39 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.14 |
| Iowa | 123 | 58 | $19.40 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.01 |
| Alaska | 116 | 58 | $24.32 | fewer than 50 wages | $37.41 |
| Kentucky | 116 | 71 | $18.02 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.78 |
| Hawaii | 112 | 23 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $55.70 |
| New Jersey | 112 | 38 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $43.11 |
| Colorado | 100 | 60 | $23.84 | fewer than 50 wages | $30.11 |
| Alabama | 94 | 47 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $22.84 |
| Louisiana | 60 | 28 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.86 |
| Utah | 57 | 54 | $21.05 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.20 |
| Oklahoma | 56 | 30 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.06 |
| Wisconsin | 53 | 21 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $36.19 |
| Virginia | 51 | 18 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.48 |
| Georgia | 47 | 24 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.02 |
| Delaware | 38 | 16 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.89 |
| South Carolina | 38 | 16 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.53 |
| West Virginia | 38 | 15 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.66 |
| Maryland | 37 | 31 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.53 |
| Rhode Island | 35 | 14 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.58 |
| Kansas | 25 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.82 |
| Montana | 21 | 14 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.61 |
| Nebraska | 21 | 9 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.06 |
| Wyoming | 19 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.27 |
| North Dakota | 18 | 22 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.88 |
| Tennessee | 14 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $25.00 |
| South Dakota | 12 | 4 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.61 |
| Arkansas | 11 | 6 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $21.41 |
| Idaho | 10 | 6 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.66 |
| Mississippi | 9 | 7 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $22.79 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $36.93 |
| New Mexico | 5 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $25.00 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.71 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $37.86 |
| New York | 2 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $38.94 |
| Washington | 2 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $39.28 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $35.30 |
Hourly wages, most active apprentices first. The starting wage is the median across the apprentices who started in fiscal 2023 and the completing wage the median across those who completed it: two groups of people. The BLS figure is the wage survey's median for the occupation in the state, a different source and a different period, so read the two side by side and not as a ratio. Which wages DOL counts and how the state is assigned are on the data page. As a file: every trade and state with an active apprentice (CSV).
What those wages come to a week and a year, at your hours →
How the apprenticeship runs
Apprenticeships run three or four years, and requirements differ by type of program and by region. Technical instruction covers operating procedures, safety practices, first aid and reading grading plans; on the job, apprentices learn to maintain equipment, operate machinery and use technology such as GPS devices. The federal Apprenticeship Finder searches apprenticeship openings by occupation and by city, state or ZIP code. Apprenticeship Finder →
BLS wording
“Other workers learn their trade through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship. ... Apprenticeship program requirements differ based on the type of program and by region. During technical instruction, apprentices learn operating procedures for equipment as well as safety practices, first aid, and how to read grading plans. On the job, apprentices learn to maintain equipment, operate machinery, and use technology, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) devices.”
How long. An apprenticeship takes three or four years; the Handbook classes the on-the-job training as moderate-term, and many who learn on the job start on light equipment and may later run heavier machines.
BLS wording
“On-the-job Training Moderate-term on-the-job training ... Many workers learn their jobs by operating light equipment, such as a trench roller, under the guidance of an experienced operator. Later, they may operate heavier equipment, such as bulldozers. ... Other workers learn their trade through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship.”
From the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Equipment Operators, read 2026-09-23. The steps in order and pay by state are on How to become a heavy equipment operator.
Common questions
How much do apprentice heavy equipment operators make?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $17.54 an hour in Michigan to $30.98 in California, across the 17 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts. Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $27.98 an hour in Pennsylvania to $55.30 in Illinois, across the 7 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. The starters and the completers are different people, and the wages are in that year's dollars.
How long does it take to train as a heavy equipment operator?
An apprenticeship takes three or four years; the Handbook classes the on-the-job training as moderate-term, and many who learn on the job start on light equipment and may later run heavier machines.
How many apprentice heavy equipment operators are there?
U.S. Department of Labor records list 7,364 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (SOC 47-2073). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. The most are in California (1,208), Illinois (881), Ohio (788), Indiana (715), Minnesota (573).
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: Apprenticeship Participant Characteristics and Training Outcomes (the dataset), retrieved 2026-09-24: every apprentice count and apprentice wage. Titles counted for this trade: ELEVATING-GRADER OPERATOR; MOTOR-GRADER OPERATOR; OPERATING ENGINEER (Alternate Title: Heavy Construction Equipment Mechanic); Operating Engineer.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-10-03: the median for the occupation, $59,850 a year nationally. How the numbers are built.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Equipment Operators, read 2026-09-23: how the apprenticeship runs and how long the training takes.
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