3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville, CA · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 53 heavy equipment operator
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $1,374
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $35,652 undergraduate certificate
Heavy Equipment Operator Schools in California
4 schools in California reported heavy equipment operator graduates for 2023-24, 104 awards in all. Sorted by number of graduates.
8045 E Chapman, Orange, CA · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 23 heavy equipment operator
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $1,160
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $52,421
300 Cherry Lane, Coalinga, CA · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 17 heavy equipment operator
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $1,384
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $42,656
11555 Old Oregon Trail, Redding, CA · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 11 heavy equipment operator
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $1,199
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $43,608
Licensing in California
Requirements are set by California (and sometimes your city), not by the school. Look up the current rules for equipment operators on CareerOneStop's License Finder for California. General path: Heavy Equipment Operator Schools overview.
BLS puts the median annual wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in California at $87,160 (middle 80% from $52,760 to $132,210), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Questions, answered from the data
How many heavy equipment operator schools are there in California?
4 schools in California reported heavy equipment operator graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 104 awards in all (104 undergraduate certificates).
How much does heavy equipment operator school cost in California?
At schools that price by program, public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $1,374 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.
How much does a equipment operator make in California?
The BLS median annual wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in California was $87,160 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $52,760 and the top 10% over $132,210.
All trade schools in California
Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.