Coal equipment operator vs heavy machine operator

The differences between coal equipment operators and heavy machine 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 machine operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a coal equipment operator has an average salary of $43,372, which is higher than the $38,232 average annual salary of a heavy machine operator.

The top three skills for a coal equipment operator include loaders, end loaders and general maintenance. The most important skills for a heavy machine operator are cranes, preventative maintenance, and CNC.

Coal equipment operator vs heavy machine operator overview

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$43,372	$38,232
Hourly rate	$20.85	$18.38
Growth rate	5%	4%
Number of jobs	43,969	73,011
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	2	4

Coal equipment operator vs heavy machine operator salary

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

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Machine Operator
Average salary	$43,372	$38,232
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $56,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between coal equipment operator and heavy machine operator education

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

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Mining Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Coal equipment operator vs heavy machine operator demographics

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

	Coal Equipment Operator	Heavy Machine Operator
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between coal equipment operator and heavy machine 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 machine operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Dig trenches and level earth to grade specification, using pick, shovel and backhoe.
Operate heavy machinery, manual labor and assisting crew where need; CDL driving for certain jobs
Operate excavation and loading machines equip with scoops, shovels, or buckets that dig gravel and earth.
Make excavations and load different material using a loader.
Load & unload trucks with forklift or bobcat for outbound delivery.

Coal equipment operator vs heavy machine operator skills

Common coal equipment operator skills

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

Common heavy machine operator skills

Cranes, 13%
Preventative Maintenance, 13%
CNC, 12%
Grinders, 12%
Troubleshoot, 11%
Load Trucks, 6%

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Coal Equipment Operator vs Heavy Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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