Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
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.
Also called: Back Hoe Operator · Engineering Equipment Operator · Equipment Operator (EO) · Forklift Operator · Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) · Hot Mix Asphalt Operator
Median pay (national)
$58,710
$40,080–$100,690 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
469,270
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.6%
~41,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $100,690 versus $40,080 at the bottom 10% — 2.5x. The median of $58,710 leaves roughly 72% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.6% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 41,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, Hawaii pays the most for this role (median $105,440, +80% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $26,200 — a 302% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Monitoring, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
- Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
- Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
- Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.
- 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.
- 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.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Windows
- Maintenance record software
- Work record software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Transportation