Heavy Equipment Trade Schools

Heavy equipment training can introduce you to a big world of satisfying opportunities.

Heavy-duty vehicles and machines play a huge role in creating, maintaining, and delivering almost every basic thing we rely on today, from roads and bridges to food and electricity. The tradespeople who work with large mobile machinery are essential to our way of life.

Heavy equipment jobs can offer excellent income potential, engaging activity, and opportunities for advancement.




Lincoln Tech

  • Denver, Colorado
  • Indianapolis, Indiana
  • South Plainfield, New Jersey
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Grand Prairie, Texas
  • Diesel Technology
  • Heavy Equipment
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J-Tech Institute

  • Jacksonville, Florida
  • Diesel Technology
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Advanced Technology Institute

  • Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • Diesel/Heavy Vehicle Technology
  • Diesel/Heavy Vehicle Technology with Service Management
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Universal Technical Institute

  • Avondale
  • Long Beach
  • Rancho Cucamonga
  • Sacramento
  • Miramar
  • Orlando
  • Lisle
  • Bloomfield
  • Exton
  • Austin
  • Dallas/Fort Worth
  • Houston
  • Diesel & Industrial Technology
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Heavy Equipment Training

Heavy EquipmentHeavy equipment mechanic trade school prepares students by focusing on teaching the equipment's technology, structure, and function so program graduates are ready to pursue work diagnosing and repairing as qualified technicians. People who start their training at a heavy equipment mechanic school have the opportunity to learn the most up-to-date technology and practices that employers look for. In addition, training can give you an edge over other applicants and help you get journey-level experience faster than directly starting an apprenticeship.

Heavy equipment operator school trains students to safely and efficiently operate large machinery on-site. Machine operator training focuses on safety and skills, and orients learners to the trade(s) they will work within, usually construction and engineering.

People who work as heavy equipment mechanics or operators can sometimes generate the best job and income prospects by learning a combination of mechanical and operational skills. So, getting training and experience in different areas of this broad field can lead to significant employment security and flexibility.


Heavy Equipment Careers

Salary and job growth information is based on 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics unless otherwise indicated.*

As the nation's population continues to increase, so does the need for new infrastructure. The country also consumes a large amount of energy, natural resources, and industrially farmed food. It all creates a tremendous need for people who know how to safely and skillfully use and maintain heavy machinery.

Here's a quick breakdown of the main types of jobs working with heavy machinery:

Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

People in this trade fix and perform maintenance on mobile heavy equipment used in industries ranging from farming to rail transport to construction. They know how to work on almost any part of a heavy vehicle, from the engine and transmission to the unique brake, suspension, and hydraulic systems.

Heavy equipment mechanics primarily work in the construction, mining, forestry, and oil and gas exploration sectors. However, some technicians specialize in farm or railroad equipment.

Heavy equipment mechanic salary: According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), the median salary for heavy equipment service technicians in 2023 was $61,000. The top 10 percent of earners earned $83,850 and up; the lowest 10 percent earned $39,960 or less. Heavy vehicle service technicians are also more likely to have overtime opportunities, which can boost income significantly. Depending on your industry, there may also be some fluctuations in demand throughout the year.

Job demand: According to the OOH, the number of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technician jobs is projected to grow by 9 percent, which is faster than the national average.

Heavy Equipment Operators

The skilled professionals who control and drive heavy-duty machinery are essential to keeping numerous industries functioning and growing. Most heavy equipment is related to construction in one way or another, but the positions are separated by industry when looking at the salary and job outlook data. Following are the three main categories for heavy machinery operators:

Construction machine operators

These professionals drive and maneuver the heavy equipment used to prepare land for building projects or to construct projects. Sometimes, they specialize in just one or a few pieces of equipment, but many eventually learn how to operate a wider variety of machines.

Industrial, oil and gas, and mining machine operators

Tradespeople in this category tend to work in the manufacturing or natural resource extraction sectors. Within factories, they often operate forklifts or large tractors to lift materials and transport them around storage and work sites. At mines, they frequently drive all-terrain tractors or oversized dump trucks to load or haul raw earth that will be processed or refined.

Heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers

Sometimes you need to possess a valid commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate heavy mobile machinery, particularly if you take it on any public roadways. However, freight and long-haul truck driving can rightly be considered a form of heavy equipment operation. Many of the skills developed as a commercial truck driver transfer well to some of the trades already mentioned.

Heavy equipment operator salaries: Pay depends somewhat on the type of machine you operate, tasks performed, and the industry. Following are the 2023 median annual wages for people who operate heavy machinery within these categories specified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

  • Construction equipment operators: $55,270
  • Crane and tower operators: $64,690
  • Logging equipment operators: $48,240
  • Material moving machine operators: $44,750
  • Operating engineers of power construction equipment: $56,160

Job demand: According to the OOH, the construction sector will employ 4 percent more heavy equipment operators from 2023 - 2033. This projected job growth is good and on par with the average for all occupations in the U.S.


Getting Started With Heavy Equipment Service Technician Training

It's surprisingly simple to learn more about how to become a heavy equipment operator or mechanic. You can use our search tool to locate heavy equipment training programs near you, then you just need to fill out a short form, and the trade school(s) you're interested in will get back to you with the information you need.



* Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook. Some careers listed may be part of a combined occupation profile (visited November 6, 2024).