Labour operator vs heavy machinery operator

The differences between labour operators and heavy machinery 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 labour operator and a heavy machinery operator. Additionally, a labour operator has an average salary of $34,180, which is higher than the $31,351 average annual salary of a heavy machinery operator.

The top three skills for a labour operator include safety regulations, CDL and dump truck. The most important skills for a heavy machinery operator are dump truck, backhoe, and load trucks.

Labour operator vs heavy machinery operator overview

	Labour Operator	Heavy Machinery Operator
Yearly salary	$34,180	$31,351
Hourly rate	$16.43	$15.07
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	61,894	37,580
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Labour operator vs heavy machinery operator salary

Labour operators and heavy machinery operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Labour Operator	Heavy Machinery Operator
Average salary	$34,180	$31,351
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Reedley, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Sierra Pacific Industries	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	Education	Automotive

Differences between labour operator and heavy machinery operator education

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

	Labour Operator	Heavy Machinery Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Labour operator vs heavy machinery operator demographics

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

	Labour Operator	Heavy Machinery Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%
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 heavy machinery operator 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.

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.

Labour operator vs heavy machinery operator skills

Common labour operator skills

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

Common heavy machinery operator skills

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

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Labour Operator vs Heavy Machinery Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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