What is a Heavy Equipment Operator?

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.

What Does a Heavy Equipment Operator Do

There are certain skills that many heavy equipment operators 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 hand-eye-foot coordination, physical strength and unafraid of heights.

Learn more about what a Heavy Equipment Operator does

How To Become a Heavy Equipment Operator

If you're interested in becoming a heavy equipment operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 11.8% of heavy equipment operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.0% of heavy equipment operators have master's degrees. Even though some heavy equipment operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Heavy Equipment Operator
Top Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs Near You

Heavy Equipment Operator Career Paths

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 driver you might progress to a role such as foreman eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title project superintendent.

Heavy Equipment Operator

Average Salary for a Heavy Equipment Operator

Heavy Equipment Operators in America make an average salary of $39,822 per year or $19 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $57,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $27,000 per year.
Average Heavy Equipment Operator Salary
$39,822 Yearly
$19.15 hourly
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Roles and Types of Heavy Equipment Operator

The role of a heavy equipment operator includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general heavy equipment operator responsibilities:

  • Equipment is used to excavate, load, or move dirt, gravel, or other materials. Operator may read
  • Ability to plow snow in a safe
  • Ability to efficiently operate bulldozers, wheel loaders, motor grader, scraper. Compactor experience preferred , but not required. Performs routine inspection

There are several types of heavy equipment operator, 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

Equipment Operator

Role:

As more baby boomers retire, more equipment operator jobs are opening up. In fact, 25% of the industry will be opened up with the boomers' retirement. That means lots of job openings and plenty of job opportunities for you to take advantage of. If there was ever a right time for you to become an equipment operator, now is that time.

Another bonus of being an equipment operator is that you don't need extra education or experience to get in the drivers seat. In fact, most employers only require you to take a three-week training course before setting you loose on the job. That means in three weeks, you'll be sitting behind the wheel of that heavy-duty equipment. And with today's technology, it's basically as easy as driving a car.

Sounds like an easy enough job, right? But it's not too easy that it's boring. Every day is going to present a new challenge to you. You'll come into work each day not knowing exactly what to expect. And that's because of the variety of heavy equipment that you'll be operating and the different jobs each equipment performs. This is one job that'll make your kids proud.

  • Average Salary: $31,739
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Labour Operator

Role:

A labour operator, sometimes called a laborer, operates all kinds of construction equipment on the job site. From backhoes to air compressors, labour operators have all kinds of machinery experience under their belt. Obviously the most important skill for a labour operator is knowing how to operate construction machines safely. However, they don't just sit in the cabin of a backhoe while the rest of the crew does the hands-on work. Labour operators are not afraid to get their hands dirty when it comes to tasks such as prepping an area for excavation or checking the safety of a construction site. Labour operators also need strong communication skills and knowledge of safety standards to work well with their colleagues on the job site.

Formal education is not required to become a labour operator. In fact, fewer than 10% of labour operators have a bachelor's degree. They usually need a high school diploma, CDL (Commercial Driver's License), and some experience in construction to get hired.

Labour operators earn an average salary of $34,549 a year. However, this varies between cities and employers.

  • Average Salary: $34,180
  • Degree: High School Diploma
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States With The Most Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active heavy equipment operator jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where heavy equipment operators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1Massachusetts1,222$54,329
2Maryland962$40,748
3California847$57,498
4New Jersey845$65,211
5Texas789$34,692
6Florida504$31,569
7Pennsylvania389$46,137
8North Carolina365$33,252
9Georgia363$30,208
10South Carolina293$30,687
11Tennessee274$34,130
12Ohio272$42,093
13Virginia270$40,694
14Colorado258$43,289
15New York231$51,047
16Arizona221$39,291
17Illinois214$52,233
18Washington209$58,830
19Iowa201$38,681
20Indiana197$42,319
21Utah191$41,165
22Michigan184$39,531
23Wisconsin182$49,958
24Alabama178$30,154
25Minnesota169$50,104
26Montana160$45,922
27Rhode Island157$39,917
28Oregon149$50,964
29Missouri145$39,218
30Kentucky144$35,209
31Louisiana142$32,707
32Alaska135$56,247
33Oklahoma124$34,314
34Idaho119$45,143
35Kansas119$36,970
36Arkansas115$25,958
37Mississippi114$46,520
38Hawaii101$40,650
39Nebraska97$39,893
40Nevada95$48,561
41West Virginia75$36,871
42New Mexico75$36,342
43Maine69$31,345
44Connecticut56$44,984
45North Dakota50$51,288
46New Hampshire50$57,250
47Delaware36$42,060
48Vermont35$49,342
49South Dakota34$40,681
50Wyoming31$44,821

Heavy Equipment Operator Education

Heavy Equipment Operator Majors

Business
17.7 %
General Studies
12.9 %
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies
10.8 %

Heavy Equipment Operator Degrees

High School Diploma

54.2 %

Associate

16.1 %

Bachelors

11.8 %

Top Skills For a Heavy Equipment Operator

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, 9.4% of heavy equipment operators listed loaders on their resume, but soft skills such as hand-eye-foot coordination and physical strength are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Heavy Equipment Operator Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Heavy Equipment Operator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Heavy Equipment Operator 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 diversity

Heavy Equipment Operator Gender Distribution

Male
Male
95%
Female
Female
5%

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

  • Among heavy equipment operators, 5.2% of them are women, while 94.8% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among heavy equipment operators is White, which makes up 67.4% of all heavy equipment operators.

  • The most common foreign language among heavy equipment operators is Spanish at 76.4%.

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Best States For a Heavy Equipment Operator

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a heavy equipment operator. The best states for people in this position are New Jersey, Washington, California, and New Hampshire. Heavy equipment operators make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $65,211. Whereas in Washington and California, they would average $58,830 and $57,498, respectively. While heavy equipment operators would only make an average of $57,250 in New Hampshire, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. New Jersey

Total Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs: 845
Highest 10% Earn:
$96,000
Location Quotient:
2.46

$65,211

Avg. Salary

View 845 Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs In NJ

2. Alaska

Total Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs: 135
Highest 10% Earn:
$67,000
Location Quotient:
3.73

$56,247

Avg. Salary

View 135 Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs In AK

3. Massachusetts

Total Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs: 1,222
Highest 10% Earn:
$77,000
Location Quotient:
3.07

$54,329

Avg. Salary

View 1,222 Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs In MA
Full List Of Best States For Heavy Equipment Operators

How Do Heavy Equipment Operators Rate Their Jobs?

4.6/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Heavy Equipment Operator Reviews

4.0
Feb 2023
Pros

Different challenges to overcome and adapt to get work done

Cons

Sitting idle with nothing to do

5.0
Dec 2022
Pros

The power off the equipment the finish grade off the work and being safe

Cons

Broke down equipment

5.0
Feb 2020
Pros

Its what I know and I am good at it . With that said always be open to constructive criticism so you can continue to grow in this field

Cons

Young bucks that come in with no it all temperaments without the experience. They can get you hurt in this line of work. Remember everything can kill you when dealing with heavy equipment

Working as a Heavy Equipment Operator? Share your experience anonymously.
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Top Heavy Equipment Operator Employers

Most Common Employers For Heavy Equipment Operator

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Freeport-McMoRan$53,339$25.64100
2Republic Services$50,513$24.29158
3Kiewit$50,165$24.1282
4Kinder Morgan$50,016$24.05106
5Alpha Metallurgical Resources$49,693$23.8992
6Martin Marietta$48,505$23.32132
7Ames Construction$48,077$23.1197
8Granite Construction$46,354$22.2976
9Tradesmen International$46,197$22.21205
10Aerotek$42,204$20.29149
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Becoming a Heavy Equipment Operator FAQs

How Long Does It Take To Become A Heavy Equipment Operator?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a heavy equipment operator. That is the time it takes to learn specific heavy equipment operator skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Do Heavy Equipment Operators Make Good Money?

Yes, heavy equipment operators make good money. A heavy equipment operator on average makes $65,500 a year, which is roughly $10,000 higher than the national wage average. A heavy equipment operator can make anywhere between $54,000 and $75,000, with outliers on either side.

Is An Interaction Designer The Same As A Ux Designer?

No, an interaction designer is not necessarily the same as a UX designer. Although they are often used interchangeably, they generally focus on the overall user experience design process.

Which Heavy Equipment Operators Make The Most Money?

Crane and backhoe heavy equipment operators typically make the most money. The national average salary for all heavy equipment operators is around $35,000 to $40,000 in a year. This equals about $15 to $20 an hour for an hourly wage.

Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction questions.

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Updated April 6, 2023