Blade operator vs grader operator

The differences between blade operators and grader operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a blade operator and a grader operator. Additionally, a blade operator has an average salary of $46,245, which is higher than the $46,011 average annual salary of a grader operator.

The top three skills for a blade operator include asphalt, GPS and trimble gps. The most important skills for a grader operator are asphalt, CDL, and OSHA.

Blade operator vs grader operator overview

	Blade Operator	Grader Operator
Yearly salary	$46,245	$46,011
Hourly rate	$22.23	$22.12
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	35,227	35,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 64%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Blade operator vs grader operator salary

Blade operators and grader operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Blade Operator	Grader Operator
Average salary	$46,245	$46,011
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $60,000	Between $35,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between blade operator and grader operator education

There are a few differences between a blade operator and a grader operator in terms of educational background:

	Blade Operator	Grader Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 64%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Blade operator vs grader operator demographics

Here are the differences between blade operators' and grader operators' demographics:

	Blade Operator	Grader Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8%	Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between blade operator and grader operator duties and responsibilities

Blade operator example responsibilities.

Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Execute daily operations of finish grading and various equipment operation.

Grader operator example responsibilities.

Experience with GPS, laser, and sonic.
Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.
Operate dozer to backfill trench and level pipeline.
Manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients using GMP format and aseptic techniques.

Blade operator vs grader operator skills

Common blade operator skills

Asphalt, 50%
GPS, 18%
Trimble Gps, 5%
Construction Equipment, 4%
Highway Construction, 4%
Grade Stakes, 3%

Common grader operator skills

Asphalt, 42%
CDL, 14%
OSHA, 12%
General Maintenance, 8%
DOT, 7%
Safety Regulations, 5%