How To Become A Motor Grader Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a motor grader operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a motor grader operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $22.66 an hour? That's $47,143 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 22,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMotor Grader OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,143

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.9

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.08%

Asian 0.93%

Black or African American 7.06%

Hispanic or Latino 18.51%

Unknown 4.39%

White 67.03%

Gender

female 4.57%

male 95.43%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a motor grader operator

Explore motor grader operator education requirements

Most common motor grader operator degrees

High School Diploma

48.9 %

Associate

21.3 %

Bachelor's

12.8 %

Start to develop specific motor grader operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Asphalt	18.19%
GPS	16.29%
CDL	11.35%
Equipment Maintenance	9.91%
Loaders	7.65%

Complete relevant motor grader operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New motor grader operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a motor grader operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real motor grader operator resumes.

Research motor grader operator duties and responsibilities

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Stock pile millings, asphalt, landfill as trailers dump loads in yards.
Partner with vendors to supply concrete, ABC (aggregate base course) and asphalt.
Reviewed/Approve area assessment reports and corrective action plans assuring compliance with applicable OSHA and EPA regulatory guidance.

Prepare your motor grader operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your motor grader operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a motor grader operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable motor grader operator resume templates

Build a professional motor grader operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your motor grader operator resume.

Apply for motor grader operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a motor grader operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do motor grader operators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Motor grader operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023

Cons

Sitting idle with nothing to do

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Pros

The power off the equipment the finish grade off the work and being safe

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020