Labour operator vs equipment operator-driver

The differences between labour 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 labour operator and an equipment operator-driver. Additionally, an equipment operator-driver has an average salary of $36,429, which is higher than the $34,180 average annual salary of a labour operator.

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

Labour operator vs equipment operator-driver overview

	Labour Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Yearly salary	$34,180	$36,429
Hourly rate	$16.43	$17.51
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	61,894	607,301
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Labour operator vs equipment operator-driver salary

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

	Labour Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average salary	$34,180	$36,429
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	Between $28,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Sierra Pacific Industries	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between labour operator and equipment operator-driver education

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

	Labour Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Labour operator vs equipment operator-driver demographics

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

	Labour Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 1.0% White, 68.1% 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 labour operator and equipment operator-driver duties and responsibilities

Labour operator example responsibilities.

Operate heavy equipment, including motor graders, heavy loaders, carryalls, bulldozers, backhoes, roller scrapers and tractors.
Operate heavy equipment, including compactors, heavy loaders, carryalls, water trucks, forklifts, backhoes, and tractors.
Perform lawn maintenance, mowing, weed-eating, and landscaping.
Preform roadside maintenance tasks such as trimming trees, mowing, and clearing shrubs.
Operate many different types of forklifts, bobcat, and 16' hooklift truck.
Work several large out of town projects with minimal supervision and productively run labor crew.

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.

Labour operator vs equipment operator-driver skills

Common labour operator skills

Safety Regulations, 10%
CDL, 8%
Dump Truck, 7%
Backhoe, 7%
Load Trucks, 7%
Dozer, 5%

Common equipment operator-driver skills

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

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Labour Operator vs Equipment Operator-Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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