Skip to content
Rebuild Detroit

Popular in Metro Detroit

Call (888) 471-3135

Become a operating engineer

Operating engineers apprenticeships in Metro Detroit

Cranes, dozers, excavators and pavers, and the mechanics who keep them running. Operating engineers earn a median $32.76 an hour in the Detroit metro ($68,130 a year). The Department of Labor lists 1 registered sponsor for the trade in the six counties.

median an hour
$32.76
registered sponsors
1
registered term
2 to 3 years
working here
3,790
How to apply Training centers

The pay ladder

Operating engineers in the Detroit metro

  1. Top of the trade 90th percentile, about $90,320 a year full time $45.16
  2. Senior hand 75th percentile, about $77,700 a year full time $38.85
  3. Journeyworker median, about $65,520 a year full time $32.76
  4. A few years in 25th percentile, about $52,720 a year full time $26.36
  5. Starting out 10th percentile, about $46,440 a year full time $23.22

BLS, May 2025. Apprentices start on their program's own scale and climb toward these rungs.

Wayne Oakland Macomb St. Clair Livingston Lapeer
Numbers match the training centers listed on this page; centers a few miles apart share a number. County lines from the U.S. Census Bureau; center addresses from the Department of Labor's RAPIDS records.

Training centers

Where operating engineers train

1 Howell

Requirements

What the training centers ask for

County by county

Operating engineers apprenticeships in each county

How to apply

How to become a operating engineer apprentice

  1. Check the requirements

    Most programs ask for a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver's license and proof of age; federal rules set the minimum age at 16, and many trades ask for 18.

    Operating Engineers 324 Training Center requirements

  2. Take the entry test

    Many programs ask for the ACT WorkKeys or another entrance test; Michigan's apprenticeship office tells applicants to brush up on math first.

    Michigan LEO advice

  3. Apply in the window

    Union programs take applications in set windows. Watch the training center's own site and apply early.

    Apply at Operating Engineers 324 Training Center

  4. Get ready while you wait

    Your Michigan Works! agency helps with test prep, pre-apprenticeship classes and the work boots.

    Find your Michigan Works! agency

  5. Start work, earn raises

    Four years of formal training combined with work on the job.

    Operating engineers apprenticeships

Outlook

Jobs for operating engineers in the next ten years

Michigan expects 9,870 operating engineers by 2034 (up 2.4% from 2024), with about 810 openings a year as people retire and move on. Nationally, BLS projects up 4.6% from 2025 to 2035; it lists moderate-term on-the-job training as the usual training.

Sponsors

Registered operating engineers sponsors in Metro Detroit

  • Operating Engineers LU 324 JATF Howell Union

Other trades

Compare another trade

Electrical Plumbing and pipefitting HVAC and refrigeration Carpentry Millwrights Roofing Masonry and concrete Tile and terrazzo Painting and finishing Glazing Welding Ironwork Sheet metal Heat and frost insulation Elevator construction Construction laborers Power line work

Keep going

Careers, jobs and training

Questions

What people ask

How much do operating engineers make in Metro Detroit?

The median is $32.76 an hour ($68,130 a year) in the Detroit metro, from $23.22 at the 10th percentile to $45.16 at the 90th (BLS, May 2025).

How long is a operating engineer apprenticeship?

The Department of Labor's registered operating engineer standards run 4,000 to 6,000 hours of on-the-job learning, 2 to 3 years, plus classes.

Where do operating engineers train near Detroit?

Operating Engineers 324 Training Center (Operating Engineers Local 324) in Howell.

How many operating engineers apprenticeship programs are there?

RAPIDS lists 1 registered sponsors based in the six counties: Livingston County 1.

What do I need to apply?

Most programs ask for a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver's license and proof of age; federal rules set the minimum age at 16, and many trades ask for 18.

Sources

Where these numbers come from

  • Programs and sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor RAPIDS sponsor records as listed on Apprenticeship.gov, read October 24, 2026. Michigan's registered apprenticeships are kept by the federal Michigan Apprenticeship Office, so RAPIDS is the official list.
  • Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area (Michigan where the metro figure is not published).
  • Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035 and Michigan's long-term projections 2024 to 2034.
  • Length: the U.S. Department of Labor's approved apprenticeship occupations, in on-the-job hours.