Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-2073.00United States
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
- Median annual earnings
- $59,540
- Projected change
- +7.5%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 506.27K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
83.1% of the workforce
Growing to 544.16K by 2035
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The work
What operating engineers and other construction equipment operators do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Learn and follow safety regulations.
- Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
- Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
- Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
- Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
- Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
- Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.
- Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines.
- Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.
- Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain.
- Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.
- Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
- Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors.
- Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.
- Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.
- Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.
- Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
- Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $41,061
- 25th percentile
- $47,986
- 50th percentile
- $59,540
- 75th percentile
- $77,606
- 90th percentile
- $104,800
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $59,540 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7.5%faster than average
2025506,274 jobs
2035 projected544,161 jobs
37,887 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 83.1%
- Some college
- 16.3%
- Certificate
- 0.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Heavy Equipment Operators12,788 postings
- 02Equipment Operators4,783 postings
- 03Hydrovac Operators1,247 postings
- 04Operators973 postings
- 05Landfill Heavy Equipment Operators510 postings
- 06Heavy Equipment Technicians490 postings
- 07Overhead Crane Operators392 postings
- 08Roller Operators355 postings
- 09Asphalt Roller Operators327 postings
- 10Heavy Equipment Operators/Laborers322 postings
- 11Heavy Construction Equipment Operators301 postings
- 12Intermodal Managers283 postings
- 13Construction Equipment Operators260 postings
- 14Haul Truck Operators234 postings
- 15Transportation Equipment Operators217 postings
- 16Construction Operators211 postings
- 17Light Equipment Operators167 postings
- 18Mobile Equipment Operators165 postings
- 19Yard Switchers161 postings
- 20Heavy Equipment Operators/Foremen160 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek926 postings
- 02Waste Management798 postings
- 03Badger Infrastructure Solutions LTD.399 postings
- 04Vulcan Materials358 postings
- 05EquipmentShare304 postings
- 06Conglobal Company287 postings
- 07Waste Connections264 postings
- 08Badger Daylighting244 postings
- 09CRH plc218 postings
- 10Republic Services193 postings
- 11Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania192 postings
- 12MasTec178 postings
- 13Martin Marietta171 postings
- 14M. A. Mortenson Company167 postings
- 15Artera121 postings
- 16Clean Harbors113 postings
- 17Blue World Pools111 postings
- 18Loram Maintenance Of Way110 postings
- 19Atmos Energy109 postings
- 20Pro-Vac107 postings
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