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.

What Does a Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Do

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.

How To Become a Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman

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.

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Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Career Paths

Average Salary for a Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman

Heavy Equipment Operators And Foreman in America make an average salary of $53,932 per year or $26 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $76,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $38,000 per year.
Average Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Salary
$53,932 Yearly
$25.93 hourly

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Roles and Types of Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman

There are several types of heavy equipment operator and foreman, including:

Operator

Role:

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.

  • Average Salary: $37,928
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Foreman

Role:

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.

  • Average Salary: $55,073
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Heavy Equipment Operator

Role:

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.

  • Average Salary: $39,822
  • Degree: High School Diploma

States With The Most Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Jobs

Number Of Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1Massachusetts1,248$81,900
2Maryland1,005$62,920
3California971$65,511
4New Jersey854$75,857
5Texas809$46,231
6Florida594$51,935
7North Carolina409$47,412
8Pennsylvania402$52,794
9Georgia379$43,177
10Virginia346$53,989
11Colorado321$51,494
12South Carolina295$49,638
13Ohio282$53,679
14Tennessee275$43,673
15Arizona254$52,043
16New York248$76,864
17Washington246$64,039
18Iowa239$51,017
19Illinois225$58,227
20Indiana208$61,056
21Michigan205$56,264
22Utah202$58,289
23Wisconsin194$61,226
24Minnesota186$64,801
25Alabama185$42,002
26Rhode Island161$58,267
27Oregon159$60,214
28Missouri156$55,959
29Montana154$56,214
30Alaska145$82,774
31Louisiana145$48,034
32Idaho139$53,209
33Oklahoma130$46,980
34Kentucky128$48,295
35Mississippi119$41,616
36Arkansas117$42,584
37Kansas106$47,441
38Hawaii102$49,031
39Nebraska102$46,649
40Nevada97$57,435
41West Virginia85$46,856
42New Mexico80$52,040
43Maine75$59,504
44Connecticut69$86,261
45New Hampshire68$87,213
46North Dakota65$53,487
47South Dakota42$51,070
48Delaware40$55,839
49Vermont39$63,666
50Wyoming34$56,206

Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Education

Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Majors

18.7 %

Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Degrees

High School Diploma

54.3 %

Associate

17.1 %

Bachelors

11.4 %

Top Skills For a Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman

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.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Resume templates

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.

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Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman diversity

Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Gender Distribution

Male
Male
98%
Female
Female
3%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among heavy equipment operators and foreman, 2.5% of them are women, while 97.5% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among heavy equipment operators and foreman is White, which makes up 67.3% of all heavy equipment operators and foreman.

  • The most common foreign language among heavy equipment operators and foreman is Spanish at 83.3%.

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How Do Heavy Equipment Operators And Foreman Rate Their Jobs?

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Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Reviews

5.0
Apr 2019
Pros

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.

Cons

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.


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Top Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman Employers

Most Common Employers For Heavy Equipment Operator And Foreman

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Granite Construction$74,751$35.944
2Union Pacific$72,482$34.853
3Tube City IMS$67,065$32.243
4CDM Smith$64,605$31.063
5Fluor Corporation$63,872$30.715
6Sundt Construction$62,128$29.873
7Sturgeon Services International$61,258$29.453
8Aerotek$60,910$29.286
9MasTec$59,890$28.795
10Matrix Service Company$58,965$28.354

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