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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in New Jersey

Your path to Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in New Jersey: wage evidence, licensing, training, apprenticeships and funding in one place.

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Answers grounded in the verified records on this page for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in New Jersey, with links to official sources.

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Wage evidence

Median and mean figures with percentiles, shown against the national figure. Suppressed values stay blank.

Wage evidence for this state compared with the national figure
StatisticThis stateNational
Median hourly$43—
Median annual$89,660—
Mean hourly$45—
Mean annual$93,270—
10th percentile (hourly)$24—
25th percentile (hourly)$31—
75th percentile (hourly)$61—
90th percentile (hourly)$64—
Source: BLS May 2025 OEWS State estimatesData year: 2025Period: MayVerified: Oct 7, 2026
Percentiles are population wage percentiles, not promised starting wages. Mean and median are shown separately. Suppressed figures stay blank rather than being estimated. Reported relative error for the mean wage estimate is 2.6% (uncertainty metadata, not a confidence interval).

Career pathway

Verified progression stages where the data provides them.

This data release provides a single verified overview stage for this selection rather than a full multi-stage ladder.

New Jersey Heavy Equipment Operation career pathway overview

  1. 1

    Equipment training to employer evaluation and scope-specific certification

    Complete equipment-specific instruction and supervised practice, then pass the employer's competency evaluation for assigned equipment. Covered crane and derrick operation requires the certification/licensing and employer evaluation specified by OSHA; a general OSHA heavy-equipment certificate does not exist. The acquired state-submitted dataset contains 4 occupation-mapped license or registration record(s) for this state; use the specific master records rather than assuming one credential covers every job scope.

    Credential: Employer equipment qualification; covered crane certification when applicablepathway overviewVerified: Oct 8, 2026
    Verified career pathwayPathway is informational and does not guarantee eligibility, licensure, or employment.

Planning checklist

These are planning actions, not newly asserted legal requirements.

  • Confirm the licensing or registration body for your state
  • Check local or municipal requirements for your area
  • Compare training and registered apprenticeship options
  • Review funding pathways you may be eligible for

Track these steps from your saved plan.

Licensing & regulation

How this trade is regulated in this state, and where local research is still needed.

Primary regulatory structure

state individual licensing; federal credentialing or regulation (scope-specific); industry certification or qualification (not universally mandatory); employer-specific qualification or training

Responsible authority: Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Office of Safety Compliance; Department of Environmental Protection; Division of Environmental Safety, Health and Analytical Programs; Radon Certification Program; Department of Labor and Workforce Development — Office of Safety Compliance; Department of Environmental Protection — Division of Environmental Safety, Health and Analytical Programs — Radon Certification Program; Occupational Safety and Health Administration; employer

Classification verified: Oct 8, 2026

Official source

State individual licensing

Identified

State registration

Not identified

Local / municipal licensing

Not identified

Contractor / business licensing

Not identified

Federal credentialing

conditional

Industry certification

optional

Employer-specific requirements

Identified

Specific credential records

  • OPERATING ENGINEER - GOLD SEAL

    required
    Scope: individual_license_or_certification; Stand-alone licenseRegulator: Department of Labor and Workforce Development — Office of Safety ComplianceVerified: Oct 8, 2026
    Regulator site

  • OPERATING ENGINEER - RED SEAL

    required
    Scope: individual_license_or_certification; Stand-alone licenseRegulator: Department of Labor and Workforce Development — Office of Safety ComplianceVerified: Oct 8, 2026
    Regulator site

  • WELL DRILLER

    required
    Scope: individual_license_or_certification; Stand-alone licenseRegulator: Department of Environmental Protection — Division of Environmental Safety, Health and Analytical Programs — Radon Certification ProgramVerified: Oct 8, 2026
    Regulator site

  • OPERATING ENGINEER - BLUE SEAL

    required
    Scope: individual_license_or_certification; Stand-alone licenseRegulator: Department of Labor and Workforce Development — Office of Safety ComplianceVerified: Oct 8, 2026
    Regulator site

Training options

Verified current training programs. Availability, tuition and delivery mode are separate facts.

  • Heavy Equipment Operation

    Lincoln Technical Institute

    Cost: $8,500

    Listed as WIOA-eligible. This is not proof of personal funding — eligibility is determined by your local workforce board.

    Current program evidenceCurrent evidence does not guarantee enrollment, an open intake, a seat, or individual funding eligibility.
    Verified: Oct 8, 2026South Plainfield, NJ
    Visit program

  • Heavy Equipment Operator

    Ocean County Vocational Technical Schools

    Cost: $8,150

    Listed as WIOA-eligible. This is not proof of personal funding — eligibility is determined by your local workforce board.

    Current program evidenceCurrent evidence does not guarantee enrollment, an open intake, a seat, or individual funding eligibility.
    Verified: Oct 8, 2026Jackson, NJ
    Visit program

  • Heavy Equipment Operations (SAT ONLY)

    Medical Construction Industrial Training Center, LLC

    Cost: $9,300

    Listed as WIOA-eligible. This is not proof of personal funding — eligibility is determined by your local workforce board.

    Current program evidenceCurrent evidence does not guarantee enrollment, an open intake, a seat, or individual funding eligibility.
    Verified: Oct 8, 2026Millville, NJ
    Visit program

  • Heavy Equipment Operations

    Medical Construction Industrial Training Center, LLC

    Cost: $9,300

    Listed as WIOA-eligible. This is not proof of personal funding — eligibility is determined by your local workforce board.

    Current program evidenceCurrent evidence does not guarantee enrollment, an open intake, a seat, or individual funding eligibility.
    Verified: Oct 8, 2026Millville, NJ
    Visit program

  • Heavy Equipment Operator

    Hunterdon County Vocational School District

    Cost: $1,165

    Listed as WIOA-eligible. This is not proof of personal funding — eligibility is determined by your local workforce board.

    Current program evidenceCurrent evidence does not guarantee enrollment, an open intake, a seat, or individual funding eligibility.
    Verified: Oct 8, 2026Annandale, NJ
    Visit program

Registered apprenticeships

Registered programs are the default view; confirmed application status is shown separately.

10 registered programs in the directory for this selection. A registered program is not the same as a confirmed open position.

Registered programs

  • Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. New Jersey Chapter

    Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. New Jersey Chapter — Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators registered apprenticeship

    Registered programMount LaurelAgency: National Registered Apprenticeship System; specific registering agency not identified in export

    Registered apprenticeship with openings not verified; status checked Oct 8, 2026.

    Registered program — openings not verifiedProgram existence/registration is supported; current recruitment is not confirmed.

  • Bird Construction

    Bird Construction — Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators registered apprenticeship

    Registered programBAYVILLEAgency: National Registered Apprenticeship System; specific registering agency not identified in export

    Registered apprenticeship with openings not verified; status checked Oct 8, 2026.

    Registered program — openings not verifiedProgram existence/registration is supported; current recruitment is not confirmed.

  • Central Jersey Apprenticeship Association (CJAA)

    Central Jersey Apprenticeship Association (CJAA) — Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators registered apprenticeship

    Registered programFARMINGDALEAgency: National Registered Apprenticeship System; specific registering agency not identified in export

    Registered apprenticeship with openings not verified; status checked Oct 8, 2026.

    Registered program — openings not verifiedProgram existence/registration is supported; current recruitment is not confirmed.

  • Independent Contractors Association Inc.

    Independent Contractors Association Inc. — Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators registered apprenticeship

    Registered programKenilworthAgency: National Registered Apprenticeship System; specific registering agency not identified in export

    Registered apprenticeship with openings not verified; status checked Oct 8, 2026.

    Registered program — openings not verifiedProgram existence/registration is supported; current recruitment is not confirmed.

  • International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) - Local 825

    International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) - Local 825 — Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators registered apprenticeship

    Registered programDAYTONAgency: National Registered Apprenticeship System; specific registering agency not identified in export

    Registered apprenticeship with openings not verified; status checked Oct 8, 2026.

    Registered program — openings not verifiedProgram existence/registration is supported; current recruitment is not confirmed.

  • New Jersey Land Improvement Contractors of America (NJLICA)

    New Jersey Land Improvement Contractors of America (NJLICA) — Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators registered apprenticeship

    Registered programRoxbury TownshipAgency: National Registered Apprenticeship System; specific registering agency not identified in export

    Registered apprenticeship with openings not verified; status checked Oct 8, 2026.

    Registered program — openings not verifiedProgram existence/registration is supported; current recruitment is not confirmed.
View all 10 registered programs

Funding pathways

Direct, trade-matched and broad funding routes to investigate. Conditional awards are not guaranteed funding.

1 direct individual opportunity, 1 tied to this trade through supported evidence, and 7 broad pathways to investigate. Conditional awards are not guaranteed funding, and potential awards are never summed as savings.

Direct individual opportunities

You apply as an individual. Eligibility is determined by the administering organization.

  • IUOE heavy equipment apprenticeship — Earn While You Learn

    International Union of Operating Engineers

    Employer or sponsor dependentactive opportunity directoryNational scope

    Applicants selected by a participating local union or joint apprenticeship committee for a heavy-equipment apprenticeship.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: Local application periods and openings vary.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Employer or sponsor dependentAccess depends on an employer, sponsor, or affiliated organization and is not a direct public scholarship.
    Official program page

Matched to this trade

Supported by source evidence for this occupation. Specificity varies — check the eligibility summary.

  • mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship

    mikeroweWORKS Foundation

    Direct individual applicationactiveNational scope

    U.S. citizens who are high-school seniors or graduates and plan an approved skilled-trade program of two years or less at an accredited school, subject to full program rules.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: October 31, 2026Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Direct individual applicationEligibility and deadline rules still apply; no award is guaranteed.
    Official program page

General funding pathways to investigate

Broad programs without a specific trade match. Scope is deliberately not personalized.

  • New Jersey WIOA training assistance / Individual Training Account pathway

    New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

    Conditional — through workforce or schoolactive conditional

    Potentially available to WIOA-eligible participants after assessment by the state or local workforce system; training normally must satisfy applicable ETPL and individual-employment-plan rules.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: No universal deadline; contact the official workforce system before enrollment.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Conditional workforce or school pathwayRequires eligibility determination or access through a workforce agency or institution; not guaranteed financial aid.
    Official program page

  • The Home Depot Foundation Path to Pro Scholarship

    The Home Depot Foundation

    Direct individual applicationactive rollingNational scope

    Individuals pursuing eligible construction skilled-trade education, subject to the applicable Path to Pro scholarship terms.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: Applications accepted year-round and reviewed quarterly.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Direct individual applicationEligibility and deadline rules still apply; no award is guaranteed.
    Official program page

  • Federal Pell Grant for eligible career-school and undergraduate programs

    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid

    Direct individual applicationactiveNational scope

    Eligible undergraduate students with financial need attending a participating institution and eligible program; trade/career programs may qualify but each program must be confirmed.

    Award: $7,395Beneficiary: individualDeadline: 2026-27 FAFSA and school deadlines apply; verify on StudentAid.gov and with the school.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Direct individual applicationEligibility and deadline rules still apply; no award is guaranteed.
    Official program page

  • Registered Apprenticeship paid employment and training

    Participating employers and registered apprenticeship sponsors

    Conditional — through workforce or schoolactive opportunity directoryNational scope

    Applicants must locate an available apprenticeship opportunity and apply directly to the employer or program sponsor; occupations and entry requirements vary.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: Opportunity-specific; do not assume an opening is accepting applications.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Conditional workforce or school pathwayRequires eligibility determination or access through a workforce agency or institution; not guaranteed financial aid.
    Official program page

  • Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

    Conditional — through workforce or schoolactiveNational scope

    Eligible child or spouse of a veteran or service member meeting a qualifying permanent-and-total disability, death, MIA, capture, or detention condition; approved technical, vocational, apprenticeship, and OJT may qualify.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: Ongoing; delimiting dates and program approval vary.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Conditional workforce or school pathwayRequires eligibility determination or access through a workforce agency or institution; not guaranteed financial aid.
    Official program page

  • GI Bill benefits for approved on-the-job training and apprenticeships

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

    Conditional — through workforce or schoolactiveNational scope

    Eligible veterans, service members, or dependents with qualifying GI Bill entitlement who enter a VA-approved OJT or apprenticeship program.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: Ongoing; applicant and training establishment approvals are required.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Conditional workforce or school pathwayRequires eligibility determination or access through a workforce agency or institution; not guaranteed financial aid.
    Official program page

  • WIOA Individual Training Account and training-service pathway

    State and local workforce development boards under U.S. DOL

    Conditional — through workforce or schoolactive conditionalNational scope

    Adults, dislocated workers, and some youth who are determined eligible and in need of training may receive training services, commonly through an ITA, for an approved program/provider.

    Award: not statedBeneficiary: individualDeadline: Ongoing local intake; timing and funds vary by local workforce area.Status checked: Oct 8, 2026
    Conditional workforce or school pathwayRequires eligibility determination or access through a workforce agency or institution; not guaranteed financial aid.
    Official program page