What does an excavator operator do?
An excavator operator mainly operates heavy construction machinery and equipment such as forklifts and bulldozers. They typically work under the directives of managers or supervisors, adhering to the safety policies and regulations for a safe and efficient workflow. Aside from operating vehicles, they also process documentation, keep records of operations, and maintain the cleanliness of work areas. Furthermore, as an excavator operator, they must perform regular maintenance checks on vehicles and machines, performing basic repairs when needed.
Excavator operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real excavator operator resumes:
- 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
- Excavate earth to install water, storm and sewer pipe.Excavate ditches to osha.
- Operate loader and dozer as well as oversee site development after utilities are install.
- Conduct 3D mapping of finds in situ in conjunction with GIS and aerial photography.
- Haul truck, loader, skid steer, dozer, excavator, hand shovel operator.
- Concrete, Water/ sewer septic lines, water proofing, run skid steer, ect.
- Maintain the roadside ditches by mowing, trimming, cutting brush, and removing litter independently.
- Restore area back to original including, concrete, asphalt, grass, artificial turf, and shrubs.
- Work in a safe and efficient manor wearing proper PPE and following all OSHA standards and guidelines.
- Load, unload, move, stack, and stage materials using a telehandler with forks and other various attachments.
Excavator operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Excavator Operators are proficient in CDL, OSHA, and Backhoe. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Coordination, and Visual ability.
We break down the percentage of Excavator Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 12%
Have over 30 years experience as Excavator Operator and Class A CDL
- OSHA, 10%
Transit Laser Techniques / Grading Techniques OSHA Construction 10 Certified.
- Backhoe, 9%
Operate Excavator & Backhoe in all excavating operations
- Manual Labor, 8%
Job entailed heavy manual laborer, continuous focus, prompt response to instructions and considerable responsibility.
- Asphalt, 6%
Restored area back to original including, concrete, asphalt, grass, artificial turf, and shrubs.
- Plumbing, 6%
Operate heavy equipment Install plumbing for sewage and electrical from house to city systems.
Most excavator operators use their skills in "cdl," "osha," and "backhoe" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential excavator operator responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an excavator operator to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what excavator operators do because "material moving machine operators signal and direct workers to load and unload material." Additionally, an excavator operator resume shows how excavator operators use communication skills: "dig trench for fiber optic cable to be placed for telephone/internet communication on local indian reservation. "
Coordination. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling excavator operator duties is coordination. The role rewards competence in this skill because "material moving machine operators should have steady hands and feet to guide and control heavy machinery precisely." According to an excavator operator resume, here's how excavator operators can utilize coordination in their job responsibilities: "performed daily primary maintenance checks on all platoon vehicles in coordination with drivers. "
Visual ability. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of excavator operators is visual ability. This skill is critical to many everyday excavator operator duties, as "material moving machine operators must be able to see clearly where they are driving or what they are moving." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "performed visual inspections of coils in accordance with product specifications and quality standards. "
Mechanical skills. excavator operator responsibilities often require "mechanical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "material moving machine operators make minor adjustments to their machines and perform basic maintenance on them." This resume example shows what excavator operators do with mechanical skills on a typical day: "use mechanical controls to operate the boom, arm and bucket to excavate, level off and work the ground. "
The three companies that hire the most excavator operators are:
- Roto41 excavator operators jobs
- Southeast Connections13 excavator operators jobs
- Maine Drilling & Blasting
11 excavator operators jobs
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Compare different excavator operators
Excavator operator vs. Septic tank installer
Heavy equipment operators control and drive construction equipment. The operators operate heavy equipment, including backhoes, bulldozers, and lift. They are in charge of placing or moving materials and other equipment. Their job covers the inspection, cleanup, lubrication, and refilling of equipment. They should have experience in operating machines. Among the skills necessary for this job include attention to detail, physical strength, knowledge of production procedure, and analytical skills. They should be able to read schematics, manuals, and blueprints.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, excavator operator responsibilities require skills like "cdl," "osha," "backhoe," and "manual labor." Meanwhile a typical septic tank installer has skills in areas such as "septic systems," "septic tanks," "dig," and "pvc." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that septic tank installers earn slightly differ from excavator operators. In particular, septic tank installers are 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an excavator operator. Additionally, they're 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Excavator operator vs. Laydown machine operator
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that excavator operator responsibilities requires skills like "cdl," "osha," "backhoe," and "manual labor." But a laydown machine operator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "rig," "ran," "drill pipe," and "oilfield equipment."
In general, laydown machine operators achieve similar levels of education than excavator operators. They're 0.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Excavator operator vs. Speeder machine operator
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, excavator operators are more likely to have skills like "cdl," "osha," "backhoe," and "manual labor." But a speeder machine operator is more likely to have skills like "quality checks," "production process," "cnc vertical," and "hr shifts."
Speeder machine operators typically earn similar educational levels compared to excavator operators. Specifically, they're 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Excavator operator vs. Equipment operator/labour
Even though a few skill sets overlap between excavator operators and equipment operators/labour, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an excavator operator might have more use for skills like "osha," "plumbing," "ladders," and "hand tools." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of equipment operators/labour require skills like "safety regulations," "front end loader," "forklifts," and "bob cat. "
The education industry tends to pay the highest salaries for equipment operators/labour, with average annual pay of $38,812. Comparatively, the highest excavator operator annual salary comes from the energy industry.In general, equipment operators/labour hold similar degree levels compared to excavator operators. Equipment operators/labour are 0.1% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of excavator operator
Updated January 8, 2025
