HEO · WI

Heavy Equipment Operator Schools in Wisconsin

3 schools in Wisconsin reported heavy equipment operator graduates for 2023-24, 50 awards in all. Sorted by number of graduates.

Fox Valley Technical College

1825 N Bluemound Dr, Appleton, WI · Public, 2-year

HEO 32
WELD 217
DSL 96
ELEC 84
CDL 81
PLMB 55
AUTO 46
A&P 23
IMT 19
CARP 12
CNC 11
BODY 9

Grads 2023-24: 32 heavy equipment operator
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $4,980
Median pay 1 yr out: $72,265 undergraduate certificate

Nicolet Area Technical College

5364 College Drive, Rhinelander, WI · Public, 2-year

HEO 16
WELD 11
AUTO 9
IMT 3
PLMB 3
CARP 1

Grads 2023-24: 16 heavy equipment operator
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $4,951
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $40,447

Northwood Technical College

1900 College Dr., Rice Lake, WI · Public, 2-year

HEO 2
WELD 420
CDL 56
CNC 51
HVAC 45
CARP 33
AUTO 30
IMT 11
PLMB 11
DSL 5

Grads 2023-24: 2 heavy equipment operator
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $5,044
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $48,396

Licensing in Wisconsin

Requirements are set by Wisconsin (and sometimes your city), not by the school. Look up the current rules for equipment operators on CareerOneStop's License Finder for Wisconsin. General path: Heavy Equipment Operator Schools overview.

BLS puts the median annual wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Wisconsin at $75,280 (middle 80% from $51,370 to $100,140), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Questions, answered from the data

How many heavy equipment operator schools are there in Wisconsin?

3 schools in Wisconsin reported heavy equipment operator graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 50 awards in all (50 undergraduate certificates).

How much does heavy equipment operator school cost in Wisconsin?

At schools that price by program, public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $4,980 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.

How much does a equipment operator make in Wisconsin?

The BLS median annual wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Wisconsin was $75,280 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $51,370 and the top 10% over $100,140.

All trade schools in Wisconsin

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.