Coal equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator

The differences between coal equipment operators and heavy equipment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a coal equipment operator, becoming a heavy equipment operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a coal equipment operator has an average salary of $43,372, which is higher than the $39,822 average annual salary of a heavy equipment operator.

The top three skills for a coal equipment operator include loaders, end loaders and general maintenance. The most important skills for a heavy equipment operator are loaders, backhoe, and CDL.

Coal equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator overview

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$43,372	$39,822
Hourly rate	$20.85	$19.15
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	43,969	47,261
Job satisfaction	-	4.6
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	4

Coal equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator salary

Coal equipment operators and heavy equipment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average salary	$43,372	$39,822
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $56,000	Between $27,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Moody's
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between coal equipment operator and heavy equipment operator education

There are a few differences between a coal equipment operator and a heavy equipment operator in terms of educational background:

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Mining Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Coal equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator demographics

Here are the differences between coal equipment operators' and heavy equipment operators' demographics:

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 0.9% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between coal equipment operator and heavy equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Coal equipment operator example responsibilities.

Operate loaders, bulldozers, and dump truck
Operate loaders, bulldozer, dump truck, road grader.
Drive a truck with a capacity of at least 80,000 GVW, to transport coal and rock in loose form.
Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.
Operate loader, bulldozer, crane and maintain all coal and limestone conveyor belts
Manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients using GMP format and aseptic techniques.

Heavy equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate trucks and equipment such as backhoe, dump trucks, front-end loader, hydraulic excavator, skid steers and bulldozers.
Operate heavy equipment including, but limit to, backhoe, excavators, bobcats, forklifts, trucks and wheel loaders.
Operate equipment used for construction purposes such as tankers, cranes, bulldozers, loaders, compost mixers and excavators.
Put down mulch cut grass, plant and dig up.
Work with asphalt, cut down trees, and dig trenches.

Coal equipment operator vs heavy equipment operator skills

Common coal equipment operator skills

Loaders, 47%
End Loaders, 20%
General Maintenance, 18%
Bulldozers, 11%
Fuel Samples, 5%

Common heavy equipment operator skills

Loaders, 9%
Backhoe, 6%
CDL, 6%
Asphalt, 5%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Dump Truck, 5%

Coal Equipment Operator vs. similar jobs

Coal Equipment Operator related careers

Coal Equipment Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Construction and Extraction Industry
Coal Equipment Operator
Coal Equipment Operator vs Heavy Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse construction and extraction jobs