Excavator operator vs track hoe operator

The differences between excavator operators and track hoe operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an excavator operator and a track hoe operator. Additionally, a track hoe operator has an average salary of $46,992, which is higher than the $46,102 average annual salary of an excavator operator.

The top three skills for an excavator operator include CDL, OSHA and backhoe. The most important skills for a track hoe operator are track hoe, loaders, and bulldozers.

Excavator operator vs track hoe operator overview

	Excavator Operator	Track Hoe Operator
Yearly salary	$46,102	$46,992
Hourly rate	$22.16	$22.59
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	36,584	26,675
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 67%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Excavator operator vs track hoe operator salary

Excavator operators and track hoe operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Excavator Operator	Track Hoe Operator
Average salary	$46,102	$46,992
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $62,000	Between $36,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Roto	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between excavator operator and track hoe operator education

There are a few differences between an excavator operator and a track hoe operator in terms of educational background:

	Excavator Operator	Track Hoe Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 67%
Most common major	Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies	Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies
Most common college	-	-

Excavator operator vs track hoe operator demographics

Here are the differences between excavator operators' and track hoe operators' demographics:

	Excavator Operator	Track Hoe Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9%	Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%
Race ratio	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%	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 excavator operator and track hoe operator duties and responsibilities

Excavator operator example responsibilities.

Experience in operating heavy equipment including excavators, front end loaders, skid loaders, tractors, etc.
Obtain CDL with Hazmat and tanker endorsements.
Create safe slopes and proper barricading during excavations.
Locate under grind utilitys via blue print GPS mapdata.
Position is a laborer working on the mowing crew.
Dig safe bell holes that meet osha standards and company policy standards

Track hoe operator example responsibilities.

Clean, load and unload asphalt for construction work sites.
Clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris and other waste materials.
Operate various large excavators, for demolition and excavating
Have ran various size dozers from cat d5 to cat d11.
Operate 650 JD , 700, JDPush brush, clear land for surface mine, reclaim steep grade, fix landslide.
Finish grade slopes with D5 dozer, and finish grade all west bound lanes and exits

Excavator operator vs track hoe operator skills

Common excavator operator skills

CDL, 12%
OSHA, 10%
Backhoe, 9%
Manual Labor, 8%
Asphalt, 6%
Plumbing, 6%

Common track hoe operator skills

Track Hoe, 30%
Loaders, 19%
Bulldozers, 14%
Asphalt, 11%
Grade Stakes, 10%
DIG, 4%

Excavator Operator vs. similar jobs

Excavator Operator related careers

Excavator Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Excavator Operator
Excavator Operator vs Track Hoe Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs