The average heavy equipment operator and foreman salary is $53,932. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a heavy equipment operator and foreman. Heavy equipment operators and foreman with a OSHA Safety Certificate certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 44,000 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many heavy equipment operators and foreman 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 physical strength, unafraid of heights and mechanical skills.
If you're interested in becoming a heavy equipment operator and foreman, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 11.4% of heavy equipment operators and foreman have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.5% of heavy equipment operators and foreman have master's degrees. Even though some heavy equipment operators and foreman have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of foreman you might progress to a role such as supervisor eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title plant manager.
What Am I Worth?
There are several types of heavy equipment operator and foreman, including:
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.
The Foreman is a central figure at construction sites, supervising work and troubleshooting any issues that may arise. Foremen mediate between site workers, architects, and supervisors, or property owners. They coordinate the day-to-day work on-site and report on the progress to the managers. Following the lead of a general contractor, they create the work schedule and allocate tasks, manage the budget, order material, if necessary, and make sure the delivered work is top-notch.
They make sure safety measures are met and supervise the machinery and equipment in use. They might also be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training the crew.
Being a foreman is not for the faint of heart. You need to have excellent leadership skills, years of on-the-job experience, and the nerves to deal with paperwork, follow sketches and blueprints, hammer out interpersonal conflicts, and manage time like a pro.
No construction site would be complete without heavy equipment operators. They drive various large-sized vehicles designed to carry out specific tasks at a construction site. Bulldozers, forklifts, trucks, cranes, backhoes are the playthings of a heavy equipment operator.
These are essential instruments when it comes to building bridges, buildings, or roads, and their handlers are always on-site along with them, maneuvering the equipment to load, remove, and place material such as rocks, debris, and the like.
Heavy equipment operators prepare and maintain their equipment for work and always make sure to adhere to safety measures. They know best what their baby can do and when it is able to function most efficiently. As a consequence, heavy equipment operators are expected to monitor the workflow and make suggestions to boost performance if necessary.
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 1,248 | $81,900 |
| 2 | Maryland | 1,005 | $62,920 |
| 3 | California | 971 | $65,511 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 854 | $75,857 |
| 5 | Texas | 809 | $46,231 |
| 6 | Florida | 594 | $51,935 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 409 | $47,412 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 402 | $52,794 |
| 9 | Georgia | 379 | $43,177 |
| 10 | Virginia | 346 | $53,989 |
| 11 | Colorado | 321 | $51,494 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 295 | $49,638 |
| 13 | Ohio | 282 | $53,679 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 275 | $43,673 |
| 15 | Arizona | 254 | $52,043 |
| 16 | New York | 248 | $76,864 |
| 17 | Washington | 246 | $64,039 |
| 18 | Iowa | 239 | $51,017 |
| 19 | Illinois | 225 | $58,227 |
| 20 | Indiana | 208 | $61,056 |
| 21 | Michigan | 205 | $56,264 |
| 22 | Utah | 202 | $58,289 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 194 | $61,226 |
| 24 | Minnesota | 186 | $64,801 |
| 25 | Alabama | 185 | $42,002 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | 161 | $58,267 |
| 27 | Oregon | 159 | $60,214 |
| 28 | Missouri | 156 | $55,959 |
| 29 | Montana | 154 | $56,214 |
| 30 | Alaska | 145 | $82,774 |
| 31 | Louisiana | 145 | $48,034 |
| 32 | Idaho | 139 | $53,209 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | 130 | $46,980 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 128 | $48,295 |
| 35 | Mississippi | 119 | $41,616 |
| 36 | Arkansas | 117 | $42,584 |
| 37 | Kansas | 106 | $47,441 |
| 38 | Hawaii | 102 | $49,031 |
| 39 | Nebraska | 102 | $46,649 |
| 40 | Nevada | 97 | $57,435 |
| 41 | West Virginia | 85 | $46,856 |
| 42 | New Mexico | 80 | $52,040 |
| 43 | Maine | 75 | $59,504 |
| 44 | Connecticut | 69 | $86,261 |
| 45 | New Hampshire | 68 | $87,213 |
| 46 | North Dakota | 65 | $53,487 |
| 47 | South Dakota | 42 | $51,070 |
| 48 | Delaware | 40 | $55,839 |
| 49 | Vermont | 39 | $63,666 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 34 | $56,206 |
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, 14.1% of heavy equipment operators and foreman listed dozer on their resume, but soft skills such as physical strength and unafraid of heights are important as well.
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
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The money (100+ g a year) and the technical aspect. Local 3 benefits are great especially if you have a family. This is a job where 5 different operators can do the same task all in a different way. Plus I love the challenge of doing everything as productive and aggressive as safely possible. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Working to far to drive home. Being a foreman with a truck and a gas card is great so is the hotel but it wears on you and your family big time. This is a serious thing to consider before choosing this job. I started at 22 and im 45 now and divorced with 3 teenagers. Its a common story in this business and its biggest downfall.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Granite Construction | $74,751 | $35.94 | 4 |
| 2 | Union Pacific | $72,482 | $34.85 | 3 |
| 3 | Tube City IMS | $67,065 | $32.24 | 3 |
| 4 | CDM Smith | $64,605 | $31.06 | 3 |
| 5 | Fluor Corporation | $63,872 | $30.71 | 5 |
| 6 | Sundt Construction | $62,128 | $29.87 | 3 |
| 7 | Sturgeon Services International | $61,258 | $29.45 | 3 |
| 8 | Aerotek | $60,910 | $29.28 | 6 |
| 9 | MasTec | $59,890 | $28.79 | 5 |
| 10 | Matrix Service Company | $58,965 | $28.35 | 4 |
