What does a Heavy Equipment Operator do?
Heavy equipment operators are skilled workers who are trained to handle heavy equipment. They are usually in the construction industry. Some of the equipment they operate are forklifts, bulldozers, dump trucks, backhoes, excavation machines, and mixer trucks. Heavy equipment operators are knowledgeable about the ins and outs of their equipment and are expected to be able to do basic repair and maintenance. They should also be able to recommend more complex repairs and maintenance work needed. Heavy equipment operators must adhere to health and safety protocols at all times.
Heavy equipment operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real heavy equipment operator resumes:
- 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.
- Work with management to troubleshoot yard issues and concerns.
- Perform and operate on CNC equipment to complete steel procedures.
- Push other equipment when extra traction and assistance are required.
- Dig trenches for building and for drainage around trail operating equipment such as backhoes.
- Operate a 23 ton 6 axis CNC cutting mill as well as many other machines.
- Utilize GPS instrument to check grade, read blueprints, erect and tear down silt fence.
- Dispatch vehicles to personnel, train operators in all vehicle types, prepare operators for CDL road tests.
- Perform cut and fill operations utilizing various types of heavy machinery utilizing GPS systems to check construction grades.
- Operate heavy equipment such as crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, and other heavy moving equipment.
Heavy equipment operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Heavy Equipment Operators are proficient in Loaders, Backhoe, and CDL. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye-foot coordination, Physical strength, and Unafraid of heights.
We break down the percentage of Heavy Equipment Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Loaders, 9%
Operated multiple types of soil stabilization front loaders maintaining excellent safety and operational results.
- Backhoe, 6%
Engaged in various duties in and around work site including operating Loader, Tracker hoe, backhoe, and Water Truck.
- CDL, 6%
Acted as a company CDL driver that safely loaded and unloaded and carried heavy construction equipment to and from job site.
- Asphalt, 5%
Removed/replaced street sidewalks and asphalt for reconstruction of existing utilities on 20 projects.
- Safety Regulations, 5%
Followed safety regulations for myself and co-workers-Maintained equipment as in oil changes and quick fixes as needed-Performed other duties as assigned
- Dump Truck, 5%
Interpret blueprints, operate and preform daily checks on back-hoe/track-hoe/front-end loader/dump truck
Common skills that a heavy equipment operator uses to do their job include "loaders," "backhoe," and "cdl." You can find details on the most important heavy equipment operator responsibilities below.
Hand-eye-foot coordination. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a heavy equipment operator to have is hand-eye-foot coordination. Their role and responsibilities require that "construction equipment operators should have steady hands and feet to guide and control heavy machinery precisely, sometimes in tight spaces." Heavy equipment operators often use hand-eye-foot coordination in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "operate water truck in coordination with grader operator, and to control dust on heavily traveled dirt roads throughout the plant. "
Physical strength. Many heavy equipment operator duties rely on physical strength. "construction equipment operators may be required to lift more than 50 pounds as part of their duties.," so a heavy equipment operator will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways heavy equipment operator responsibilities rely on physical strength: "perform equipment maintenance fork lift certified physical labor, lifting of heavy objects assisted journeyman electricians on the job training. "
Mechanical skills. For certain heavy equipment operator responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "mechanical skills." The day-to-day duties of a heavy equipment operator rely on this skill, as "construction equipment operators often perform basic maintenance on the equipment they operate." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what heavy equipment operators do: "operatorated heavy equipment, i.e., excavator, bulldozer, articulator managed operations of loading trucks delivered mechanical maintenance of heavy equipment. "
The three companies that hire the most heavy equipment operators are:
- Republic Services112 heavy equipment operators jobs
- Tradesmen International66 heavy equipment operators jobs
- Vulcan Materials63 heavy equipment operators jobs
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Compare different heavy equipment operators
Heavy equipment operator vs. Crew foreman
A crew foreman coordinates the daily activities in a construction site to ensure that operations adhere to deadlines, budgets, and quality standards. They serve as the point of contact for supervisors, clients, and construction workers. They are also in charge of managing construction schedules, conducting assessments and evaluations, hiring staff, training staff, monitoring supplies, and ordering materials. Additionally, they must enforce safety regulations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between heavy equipment operators and crew foreman. For instance, heavy equipment operator responsibilities require skills such as "loaders," "asphalt," "load trucks," and "safety standards." Whereas a crew foreman is skilled in "customer service," "hand tools," "work ethic," and "good communication." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Crew foremen tend to make the most money working in the utilities industry, where they earn an average salary of $53,154. In contrast, heavy equipment operators make the biggest average salary, $44,299, in the energy industry.The education levels that crew foremen earn slightly differ from heavy equipment operators. In particular, crew foremen are 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a heavy equipment operator. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Heavy equipment operator vs. Road machine runner
Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that heavy equipment operator responsibilities requires skills like "loaders," "backhoe," "cdl," and "asphalt." But a road machine runner might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "windows," "delivery vehicle," "troubleshoot," and "internet connectivity."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Road machine runners tend to reach similar levels of education than heavy equipment operators. In fact, they're 4.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Heavy equipment operator vs. Operator
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from heavy equipment operator resumes include skills like "loaders," "asphalt," "safety regulations," and "osha," whereas an operator is more likely to list skills in "emergency calls," "quality checks," "dozer," and "assembly line. "
Operators earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $41,321. Comparatively, heavy equipment operators have the highest earning potential in the energy industry, with an average salary of $44,299.When it comes to education, operators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to heavy equipment operators. In fact, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Heavy equipment operator vs. Scraper operator
Types of heavy equipment operator
Updated January 8, 2025
