Heavy equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver

The differences between heavy equipment operators and equipment operators-driver can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a heavy equipment operator and an equipment operator-driver. Additionally, a heavy equipment operator has an average salary of $39,822, which is higher than the $36,429 average annual salary of an equipment operator-driver.

The top three skills for a heavy equipment operator include loaders, backhoe and CDL. The most important skills for an equipment operator-driver are CDL, dump truck, and loaders.

Heavy equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver overview

	Heavy Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Yearly salary	$39,822	$36,429
Hourly rate	$19.15	$17.51
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	47,261	607,301
Job satisfaction	4.6	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Heavy equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver salary

Heavy equipment operators and equipment operators-driver have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Heavy Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average salary	$39,822	$36,429
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $57,000	Between $28,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Moody's	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between heavy equipment operator and equipment operator-driver education

There are a few differences between a heavy equipment operator and an equipment operator-driver in terms of educational background:

	Heavy Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Heavy equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver demographics

Here are the differences between heavy equipment operators' and equipment operators-driver' demographics:

	Heavy Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between heavy equipment operator and equipment operator-driver duties and responsibilities

Heavy equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate trucks and equipment such as backhoe, dump trucks, front-end loader, hydraulic excavator, skid steers and bulldozers.
Operate heavy equipment including, but limit to, backhoe, excavators, bobcats, forklifts, trucks and wheel loaders.
Operate equipment used for construction purposes such as tankers, cranes, bulldozers, loaders, compost mixers and excavators.
Put down mulch cut grass, plant and dig up.
Work with asphalt, cut down trees, and dig trenches.

Equipment operator-driver example responsibilities.

Deliver hazmat material to job site.
Operate airfield/street sweepers to remove debris from pavement surfaces.
Unload full pallets and double pallets of groceries and merchandise.
Landscape, plant flowers, grass, shrubs and bushes.
Arrive at and depart from pickup and discharge points as required.
Conduct pre and post trip inspections and regularly service the vehicles.

Heavy equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver skills

Common heavy equipment operator skills

Loaders, 9%
Backhoe, 6%
CDL, 6%
Asphalt, 5%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Dump Truck, 5%

Common equipment operator-driver skills

CDL, 23%
Dump Truck, 10%
Loaders, 7%
Tractor Trailer, 5%
DOT, 5%
Post-Trip Inspections, 4%

Heavy Equipment Operator vs. similar jobs

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Heavy Equipment Operator
Heavy Equipment Operator vs Equipment Operator-Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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