How To Become An Apparatus Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an apparatus operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an apparatus operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.5 an hour? That's $53,045 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 13,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreApparatus OperatorUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $53,045

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.95%

Asian 1.97%

Black or African American 9.62%

Hispanic or Latino 13.28%

Unknown 4.79%

White 69.39%

Gender

female 4.00%

male 96.00%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.2

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an apparatus operator

Explore apparatus operator education requirements

Most common apparatus operator degrees

Associate

50.0 %

High School Diploma

17.3 %

Bachelor's

15.4 %

Start to develop specific apparatus operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Emergency Calls	34.19%
Public Safety	12.45%
Firefighting	6.78%
Responder	6.64%
EMS	5.90%

Complete relevant apparatus operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New apparatus operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an apparatus operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real apparatus operator resumes.

Research apparatus operator duties and responsibilities

Manage the fleet of fire trucks, ambulances, and other vehicles.
Train subordinates in general and specialize firefighting skills.
Maintain firefighting apparatus equipment in a constant state of readiness.
Communicate any equipment problems and repairs need to supervisor.

Prepare your apparatus operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your apparatus operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an apparatus operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable apparatus operator resume templates

Build a professional apparatus operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your apparatus operator resume.