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Heavy equipment operator schools in Ohio

Ohio has 6 accredited campuses awarding heavy equipment credentials. If you finish and work as a construction equipment operator in Ohio, expect to start around $46,850–$54,430 and reach a median of $64,940 with experience; the top quarter earn $92,930 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Ohio). Graduates of these Ohio programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $34,973 in their first year, against $34,973 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.

What operating engineers and other construction equipment operators earn in Ohio

$46,850starting (10th percentile)
$54,430early career (25th)
$64,940median, all experience
$92,930experienced (75th)
$98,100top earners (90th)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 16,920 employed in Ohio. National median: $59,850.

Campuses in Ohio, ranked by what their graduates earned

6campuses in Ohio
81credentials awarded / yr
$34,973median earnings, yr 1 (Ohio)
$34,973median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)

Cities: CincinnatiEnglewoodNelsonvilleNew PhiladelphiaRio GrandeZanesville

CampusCityTypeGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Program debtCompletionCost / yr
Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education Zanesville Public 16 $34,973 $6,333 72% not reported
Buckeye Hills Career Center Rio Grande Public 26 not reported not reported 90% $23,041
Hocking College Nelsonville Public 23 not reported not reported 37% not reported
Great Oaks Career Campuses Cincinnati Public 9 not reported not reported 90% $14,215
Miami Valley Career Technology Center Englewood Public 4 not reported not reported not reported not reported
Buckeye Joint Vocational School New Philadelphia Public 3 not reported not reported 88% $11,864

Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.

Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.

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