Equipment Operator Education Requirements And Courses

Equipment operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, equipment operators don't need a college education. The most common degree for equipment operators is high school diploma with 46% graduates, with only 19% equipment operator graduates earning associate degree. Equipment operators who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Texas A&M; University. Some good skills to have in this position include cdl, loaders and asphalt.

Popular equipment operator certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate , Forklift Safety and Inspector, or EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA). To improve equipment operator qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in equipment operator education paths.

What education do you need to become an equipment operator?

What degree do you need to be an equipment operator?

The most common degree for equipment operators is high school diploma, with 46% of equipment operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 18%.

High School Diploma, 46%

Associate, 19%

Bachelor's, 18%

Diploma, 10%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become an equipment operator?

You should major in business to become an equipment operator. 20% of equipment operators major in business. Other common majors for an equipment operator include general studies and automotive technology.

Business, 20%

General Studies, 12%

Automotive Technology, 9%

Criminal Justice, 8%

Other Majors, 51%

Best majors for equipment operators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.9%
2	General Studies	12.5%
3	Automotive Technology	8.9%
4	Criminal Justice	8.2%
5	Precision Metal Working	5.6%

Show more common equipment operator majors

20 best online courses for equipment operators

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1. Introduction to Operating Systems

This specialization is intended for people with some programming experience who seek an approachable introduction to how operating systems work on a fundamental level. This course will equip learners with foundational knowledge of operating systems suitable for any developer roles. In these four courses, you will cover everything from the basics of a C program to distributed systems. These topics will help prepare you to optimize the performance of the programs you write...

2. Truck Dispatcher - Working with owner operators

4.6

(724)

Work and earn...

3. Electrical Power Equipment

4.6

(939)

Learn how electrical equipments operate and how they fit together into a network...

4. Rotating Equipment Masterclass: Pumps & Compressors

4.6

(305)

A compelete understanding of pumps & compressors used in process industries for a successful operation of your facility...

5. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

4.5

(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

6. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance

4.5

(286)

A complete understanding of construction details , functionning and design of heat exchangers for successful operation...

7. MBA: Supply Chain and Operation management

4.5

(266)

Tactics, Tools, and Techniques required to become a Supply chain and operation manager...

8. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

4.6

(4,741)

Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...

9. Operations Management: Facilities Planning and Management

4.4

(357)

Operations Management Training Program (Course 8 of 8)...

10. Cybersecurity: Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst NOW!

4.5

(508)

Jump-start your cybersecurity career from the gateway to success: A Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst...

11. Operations Management in small businesses: key techniques

4.4

(2,020)

A toolkit for making small business operations effective and efficient...

12. Operating Systems Part 3: Synchronization and Deadlock

4.4

(684)

Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

13. Operational Risks Management ORM

4.3

(1,174)

Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

14. Basic Cellular Networks Operator Course

4.5

(2,162)

Basic Fundamentals of Cellular Network Operations...

15. Operating Systems Final Part (4): File Systems & Threads

4.6

(518)

Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

16. Lean Manufacturing A-Z: Lean Operations Management

4.6

(3,222)

Lean Business Operations Management, Lean Process and Systems Improvement in Production and Industry. MBA style course...

17. Operating Systems from scratch - Part 2

4.7

(1,078)

Learn memory management in operating systems as operating system forms the core of computer science...

18. Operating Systems from scratch - Part 1

4.5

(4,324)

Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...

19. Set Up A Photography Studio With Equipment - On A Budget

4.5

(349)

Learn How To Set Up A Photography Studio On Any Budget: Location, Room, Backgrounds, Lighting, Props And More!...

20. Operations Management: Inventory Management

(301)

Operations Management Training Program (Course 4 of 8)...

Average equipment operator salary by education level

According to our data, equipment operators with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $32,699 annually. Equipment operators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $32,095.

Equipment operator education level	Equipment operator salary
High School Diploma or Less	$32,001
Bachelor's Degree	$32,095
Some College/ Associate Degree	$32,699