Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to operate and maintain a variety of heavy equipment, such as a crawler tractors, motor graders and scrapers, shovels, rigging devices, hoists, and jacks. Includes instruction in digging, ditching, sloping, stripping, grading, and backfiling, clearing and excavating.
- Schools offering
- 11
- Annual completions
- 93
- Typical degree level
- Associate's
- Median earnings (5yr)
- $67k
About this major
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to operate and maintain a variety of heavy equipment, such as a crawler tractors, motor graders and scrapers, shovels, rigging devices, hoists, and jacks. Includes instruction in digging, ditching, sloping, stripping, grading, and backfiling, clearing and excavating.
Where this major leads
Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.
| Occupation | Median wage | Job growth | Typical education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | $59k | +3.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Highway maintenance workers | $49k | +3.0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators | $52k | +3.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Crane and tower operators | $66k | +3.0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining | $53k | -0.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Logging equipment operators | $49k | -1.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Material moving workers, all other | $42k | +4.3% | No formal educational credential |
| Earth drillers, except oil and gas | $60k | +2.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Earnings at a glance
Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.
Median 5-year earnings
$67k
Top colleges for Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.
| College | Location | Assoc. | Bach. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | Alfred, NY | 33 | 0 | 33 |
| Hocking College | Nelsonville, OH | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | Williamsport, PA | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Lake Area Technical College | Watertown, SD | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Central Arizona College | Coolidge, AZ | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Ivy Tech Community College | Indianapolis, IN | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Central Community College | Grand Island, NE | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cuyahoga Community College District | Cleveland, OH | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | Sheldon, IA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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