Heavy machinery operator vs road grader operator

The differences between heavy machinery operators and road grader operators 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 machinery operator and a road grader operator. Additionally, a road grader operator has an average salary of $44,968, which is higher than the $31,351 average annual salary of a heavy machinery operator.

The top three skills for a heavy machinery operator include dump truck, backhoe and load trucks. The most important skills for a road grader operator are CDL, dot regulations, and road construction.

Heavy machinery operator vs road grader operator overview

	Heavy Machinery Operator	Road Grader Operator
Yearly salary	$31,351	$44,968
Hourly rate	$15.07	$21.62
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	37,580	43,824
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Heavy machinery operator vs road grader operator salary

Heavy machinery operators and road grader operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Heavy Machinery Operator	Road Grader Operator
Average salary	$31,351	$44,968
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $40,000	Between $35,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	Reedley, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Dairy Farmers of America	-
Best paying industry	Automotive	-

Differences between heavy machinery operator and road grader operator education

There are a few differences between a heavy machinery operator and a road grader operator in terms of educational background:

	Heavy Machinery Operator	Road Grader Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Heavy machinery operator vs road grader operator demographics

Here are the differences between heavy machinery operators' and road grader operators' demographics:

	Heavy Machinery Operator	Road Grader Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between heavy machinery operator and road grader operator duties and responsibilities

Heavy machinery operator example responsibilities.

Used heavy machinery such as a bobcat, backhoe and forklift to move asphalt or material.
Operate CNC lathe along with several other pieces of machinery equipment.
Operate backhoe to excavate excess water/mud to build barriers to prevent a spill over onto roads and residential area.
Start engines, move throttle switch and levers, such as bulldozers, road graders and backhoes and relate machines.
Operate light machinery including bulldozers and maintainers
Reviewed/Approve area assessment reports and corrective action plans assuring compliance with applicable OSHA and EPA regulatory guidance.

Road grader operator example responsibilities.

Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.
Prepare, grade assignments and code solutions for multithreading, mutual exclusion, memory management, etc.

Heavy machinery operator vs road grader operator skills

Common heavy machinery operator skills

Dump Truck, 15%
Backhoe, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Front End Loader, 7%
CDL, 6%
Bobcat, 6%

Common road grader operator skills

CDL, 90%
DOT Regulations, 5%
Road Construction, 3%
Trip Inspections, 3%

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Heavy Machinery Operator vs Road Grader Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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