How To Become A Back Hoe Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a back hoe operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a back hoe operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.03 an hour? That's $43,737 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 32,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreBack Hoe OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,737

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.27%

Asian 2.55%

Black or African American 9.24%

Hispanic or Latino 16.02%

Unknown 3.67%

White 67.25%

Gender

female 3.47%

male 96.53%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a back hoe operator

Explore back hoe operator education requirements

Most common back hoe operator degrees

High School Diploma

63.5 %

Diploma

13.5 %

Certificate

7.7 %

Start to develop specific back hoe operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Construction Equipment	19.87%
DIG	13.62%
Loaders	13.01%
DOT	12.81%
Demolition	9.53%

Complete relevant back hoe operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New back hoe 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 a back hoe operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real back hoe operator resumes.

Research back hoe operator duties and responsibilities

Operate crane machines, shovels, bobcats, front end loaders where bridges are built all over the state of Alabama.
Repair and daily maintenance of diggers for less down time and smooth operation.
Operate various caterpillar excavators, bulldozers, front-end loaders and other relate equipment to perform demolition on houses and infrastructure.
Load and unload merchandise from trucksDaily equipment checksDispose of waste following DHEC regulations

Prepare your back hoe operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your back hoe 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 a back hoe 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 back hoe operator resume templates

Build a professional back hoe 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 back hoe operator resume.