Bucket operators use a machine that lifts a bucket into the air to safely reach heights above the capacity of a ladder and carry out various maintenance tasks. They are responsible for clearing branches and shrubs from the way of right-of-ways or road signs. But most commonly, their work is related to the safekeeping of electrical wires.
Working as a bucket operator, you will not only operate a bucket truck but other pruning tools as well, such as chain saws, chippers, and the like. Occasionally you might be required to climb trees, but mostly you will be doing the trimming from the bucket.
You need no specialized education to take on this job other than a GED and a driver's license or CDL license. Being physically fit is an important requirement as you will need to stand for long stretches at a time and endure uncontrolled weather conditions. You will be working with hazardous equipment and potentially dangerous situations, so having an extended attention span is also essential.
What is a Bucket Operator?
What Does a Bucket Operator Do
There are certain skills that many bucket operators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, coordination and visual ability.
How To Become a Bucket Operator
If you're interested in becoming a bucket operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 7.6% of bucket operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 0.6% of bucket operators have master's degrees. Even though some bucket operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Bucket Operator Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a bucket operator can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as foreman, progress to a title such as supervisor and then eventually end up with the title plant manager.
Average Salary for a Bucket Operator
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Bucket Operator
There are several types of bucket operator, including:
Operator
Role:
As an operator, it's your job to know how specific equipment or machines work. You should know how to install and repair certain machinery as well as knowing how to use tools to help with the manufacturing process.
Operators often spend their time checking in on equipment and making sure it's properly working. Every problem that is detected, you'll often call upon an operators to come and save the day. They're essentially the superhero in an office setting.
In most cases, operators work full-time, normal hours. But when a client needs help, you'll need to be available. which means that sometimes duty calls at night or on the weekends.
- Average Salary: $37,928
- Degree: High School Diploma
Production Worker
Role:
If you want to get acquainted with the universe of mass production in factories, a Production Worker position is a great place to start. Production workers assist in the manufacturing of goods, typically at an assembly line or by carrying out various tasks in a warehouse. Working this job, you will feed materials into machines, assemble parts of products by hand at a production line, and monitor the equipment to guarantee the products are up to speed with the required quality standards.
You might be responsible for preparing and loading products for shipment, and you will have to make sure the production machinery is well maintained, your working area is clean, and everything is according to safety guidelines.
You have to be mechanically inclined to make the most of this job. You should be a team player and have excellent communication skills because, at the end of the day, it is the people who run the machines.
- Average Salary: $30,847
- Degree: High School Diploma
Equipment Operator
Role:
As more baby boomers retire, more equipment operator jobs are opening up. In fact, 25% of the industry will be opened up with the boomers' retirement. That means lots of job openings and plenty of job opportunities for you to take advantage of. If there was ever a right time for you to become an equipment operator, now is that time.
Another bonus of being an equipment operator is that you don't need extra education or experience to get in the drivers seat. In fact, most employers only require you to take a three-week training course before setting you loose on the job. That means in three weeks, you'll be sitting behind the wheel of that heavy-duty equipment. And with today's technology, it's basically as easy as driving a car.
Sounds like an easy enough job, right? But it's not too easy that it's boring. Every day is going to present a new challenge to you. You'll come into work each day not knowing exactly what to expect. And that's because of the variety of heavy equipment that you'll be operating and the different jobs each equipment performs. This is one job that'll make your kids proud.
- Average Salary: $31,739
- Degree: High School Diploma
States With The Most Bucket Operator Jobs
Number Of Bucket Operator Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 1,288 | $40,750 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 895 | $38,976 |
| 3 | Texas | 504 | $38,343 |
| 4 | Florida | 438 | $37,366 |
| 5 | California | 436 | $42,645 |
| 6 | Ohio | 365 | $48,841 |
| 7 | Georgia | 333 | $37,142 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 313 | $39,629 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 302 | $37,054 |
| 10 | Indiana | 251 | $44,876 |
| 11 | New York | 251 | $43,153 |
| 12 | Virginia | 233 | $32,639 |
| 13 | Illinois | 228 | $42,417 |
| 14 | Michigan | 215 | $33,638 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 207 | $39,976 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 205 | $38,413 |
| 17 | South Carolina | 201 | $36,485 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 185 | $44,061 |
| 19 | Iowa | 165 | $38,896 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 159 | $38,328 |
| 21 | Alabama | 155 | $30,355 |
| 22 | Missouri | 150 | $49,365 |
| 23 | Utah | 141 | $42,102 |
| 24 | Connecticut | 135 | $44,131 |
| 25 | Colorado | 127 | $44,470 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 120 | $35,096 |
| 27 | Maryland | 119 | $45,008 |
| 28 | Montana | 109 | $43,670 |
| 29 | Oregon | 107 | $41,803 |
| 30 | Washington | 102 | $47,022 |
| 31 | Arizona | 101 | $41,293 |
| 32 | Hawaii | 98 | $42,048 |
| 33 | Alaska | 95 | $40,906 |
| 34 | Mississippi | 81 | $42,516 |
| 35 | Idaho | 77 | $38,838 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | 73 | $43,579 |
| 37 | Kansas | 71 | $39,115 |
| 38 | Nebraska | 63 | $41,260 |
| 39 | Louisiana | 56 | $45,177 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | 55 | $39,956 |
| 41 | Maine | 52 | $39,151 |
| 42 | Nevada | 51 | $44,769 |
| 43 | Arkansas | 49 | $32,166 |
| 44 | West Virginia | 39 | $36,695 |
| 45 | Delaware | 34 | $37,625 |
| 46 | New Mexico | 31 | $44,622 |
| 47 | Vermont | 24 | $41,475 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 22 | $40,983 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 15 | $41,306 |
| 50 | North Dakota | 12 | $42,891 |
Top Skills For a Bucket Operator
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 24.2% of bucket operators listed etc on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and coordination are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Bucket Operator Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Bucket Operator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Bucket Operator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Bucket Operator diversity
Bucket Operator Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among bucket operators, 1.4% of them are women, while 98.6% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among bucket operators is White, which makes up 59.6% of all bucket operators.
- The most common foreign language among bucket operators is Spanish at 100.0%.
Online Courses For Bucket Operator That You May Like
1. Truck Dispatcher Training (STEP BY STEP, work independently)
FULL COURSE- How to Become a Truck Dispatcher, how to book loads for semi-trucks and start your own Dispatch Company...
2. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)
Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...
3. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment
Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...
How Do Bucket Operators Rate Their Jobs?
Top Bucket Operator Employers
Most Common Employers For Bucket Operator
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinder Morgan | $46,928 | $22.56 | 1 |
| 2 | Sumter Utilities | $42,376 | $20.37 | 2 |
| 3 | Urban | $41,941 | $20.16 | 1 |
| 4 | Prism Electric | $41,881 | $20.14 | 1 |
| 5 | Xylem | $41,224 | $19.82 | 4 |
| 6 | Asplundh Construction | $41,131 | $19.77 | 6 |
| 7 | Lewis Tree Service | $41,057 | $19.74 | 21 |
| 8 | ABC Professional Tree Services | $40,979 | $19.70 | 4 |
| 9 | Bartlett Tree Experts | $40,957 | $19.69 | 3 |
| 10 | Penn Line | $40,952 | $19.69 | 5 |