What You Need to Know About Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator
Career Description 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.
What Do Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Do On a Daily Basis?
- Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.
- Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.
- Operate road watering, oiling, or rolling equipment, or street sealing equipment, such as chip spreaders.
- Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.
- Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
- Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.
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Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Required Skills
When polled, Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Types of Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Jobs
- Ditching Machine Operator
- Sanitary Landfill Operator
- Bush Hog Operator
- Ditching Machine Operating Engineer
- Backhoe Operator
Are There Job Opportunities for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators?
There were about 371,100 jobs for Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 45,800 new jobs for Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator by 2026. The BLS estimates 47,300 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator are Utah, Nevada, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Alaska, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Average Salary
Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators make between $31,320 and $84,160 a year.
Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators who work in Illinois, Hawaii, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $40,930 |
| Alaska | $70,750 |
| Arizona | $47,110 |
| Arkansas | $36,750 |
| California | $73,130 |
| Colorado | $49,750 |
| Connecticut | $71,060 |
| Delaware | $42,820 |
| District of Columbia | $61,320 |
| Florida | $40,160 |
| Georgia | $37,580 |
| Hawaii | $78,470 |
| Idaho | $46,810 |
| Illinois | $77,090 |
| Indiana | $58,180 |
| Iowa | $48,510 |
| Kansas | $41,200 |
| Kentucky | $47,930 |
| Louisiana | $46,160 |
| Maine | $43,400 |
| Maryland | $49,560 |
| Massachusetts | $67,410 |
| Michigan | $52,800 |
| Minnesota | $62,770 |
| Mississippi | $38,310 |
| Missouri | $53,990 |
| Montana | $51,580 |
| Nebraska | $43,590 |
| Nevada | $58,410 |
| New Hampshire | $50,230 |
| New Jersey | $75,150 |
| New Mexico | $44,900 |
| New York | $81,930 |
| North Carolina | $39,990 |
| North Dakota | $55,440 |
| Ohio | $56,600 |
| Oklahoma | $41,710 |
| Oregon | $55,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $53,320 |
| Rhode Island | $64,820 |
| South Carolina | $40,220 |
| South Dakota | $44,150 |
| Tennessee | $41,180 |
| Texas | $41,730 |
| Utah | $48,640 |
| Vermont | $42,930 |
| Virginia | $42,470 |
| Washington | $67,260 |
| West Virginia | $45,280 |
| Wisconsin | $62,540 |
| Wyoming | $58,270 |
What Tools & Technology do Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
- Maintenance record software
How do I Become an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator?
What education is needed to be an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator?
What work experience do I need to become an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator?
Who Employs Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators?
Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators work in the following industries:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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