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.
What is a Labour Operator?
What Does a Labour Operator Do
There are certain skills that many labour 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 physical strength, unafraid of heights and mechanical skills.
How To Become a Labour Operator
If you're interested in becoming a labour operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 10.4% of labour operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 0.4% of labour operators have master's degrees. Even though some labour operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Labour Operator Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a labour operator can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as operator, progress to a title such as technician and then eventually end up with the title service manager.
Average Salary for a Labour Operator
What Am I Worth?
Top Skills For a Labour 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, 13.1% of labour operators listed heavy equipment on their resume, but soft skills such as physical strength and unafraid of heights are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Labour Operator Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Labour Operator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Labour Operator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Labour Operator Demographics
Labour Operator Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among labour operators, 10.3% of them are women, while 89.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among labour operators is White, which makes up 73.7% of all labour operators.
- The most common foreign language among labour operators is Spanish at 76.8%.
Online Courses For Labour Operator That You May Like
FULL COURSE- How to Become a Truck Dispatcher, how to book loads for semi-trucks and start your own Dispatch Company...
A quick yet detailed certification in OSHA safety with a focus on Trenching, Excavation, & Soil Mechanics...
Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...
Best States For a Labour Operator
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a labour operator. The best states for people in this position are Alaska, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Labour operators make the most in Alaska with an average salary of $52,762. Whereas in Connecticut and New Hampshire, they would average $50,084 and $49,170, respectively. While labour operators would only make an average of $48,942 in Massachusetts, 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. Alaska
$52,762
Avg. Salary
2. Massachusetts
$48,942
Avg. Salary
3. New Jersey
$44,802
Avg. Salary
How Do Labour Operator Rate Their Jobs?
Top Labour Operator Employers
Most Common Employers For Labour Operator
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MasTec | $40,857 | $19.64 | 19 |
| 2 | Blattner Energy | $38,877 | $18.69 | 19 |
| 3 | Miller Pipeline | $38,794 | $18.65 | 23 |
| 4 | RailWorks | $38,778 | $18.64 | 32 |
| 5 | Georgia-Pacific | $38,509 | $18.51 | 29 |
| 6 | PepsiCo | $38,408 | $18.47 | 190 |
| 7 | United States Steel | $37,901 | $18.22 | 17 |
| 8 | ADM | $37,769 | $18.16 | 21 |
| 9 | Waste Management | $37,658 | $18.10 | 20 |
| 10 | Tradesmen International | $35,308 | $16.98 | 18 |
Labour Operator Videos
