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Road equipment operator vs blade operator

The differences between road equipment operators and blade 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 road equipment operator and a blade operator. Additionally, a blade operator has an average salary of $46,245, which is higher than the $45,053 average annual salary of a road equipment operator.

The top three skills for a road equipment operator include asphalt, CDL and loaders. The most important skills for a blade operator are asphalt, GPS, and trimble gps.

Road equipment operator vs blade operator overview

Road Equipment OperatorBlade Operator
Yearly salary$45,053$46,245
Hourly rate$21.66$22.23
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs54,82335,227
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 64%
Average age4545
Years of experience44

Road equipment operator vs blade operator salary

Road equipment operators and blade operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Road Equipment OperatorBlade Operator
Average salary$45,053$46,245
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $57,000Between $35,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between road equipment operator and blade operator education

There are a few differences between a road equipment operator and a blade operator in terms of educational background:

Road Equipment OperatorBlade Operator
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 64%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringBusiness
Most common college--

Road equipment operator vs blade operator demographics

Here are the differences between road equipment operators' and blade operators' demographics:

Road Equipment OperatorBlade Operator
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 92.7% Female, 7.3%Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between road equipment operator and blade operator duties and responsibilities

Road equipment operator example responsibilities.

  • Operate cranes in various indoor and outdoor locations where maneuverability is restricted and accuracy is critical.
  • Operate cranes in various indoor and outdoor locations where maneuverability is restricted and accuracy is critical.

Blade operator example responsibilities.

  • Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
  • Execute daily operations of finish grading and various equipment operation.

Road equipment operator vs blade operator skills

Common road equipment operator skills
  • Asphalt, 27%
  • CDL, 25%
  • Loaders, 18%
  • Construction Sites, 7%
  • Road Construction, 7%
  • Construction Equipment, 7%
Common blade operator skills
  • Asphalt, 50%
  • GPS, 18%
  • Trimble Gps, 5%
  • Construction Equipment, 4%
  • Highway Construction, 4%
  • Grade Stakes, 3%

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