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The differences between road equipment 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 road equipment operator and a heavy machinery operator. Additionally, a road equipment operator has an average salary of $45,053, which is higher than the $31,351 average annual salary of a heavy machinery operator.
The top three skills for a road equipment operator include asphalt, CDL and loaders. The most important skills for a heavy machinery operator are dump truck, backhoe, and load trucks.
| Road Equipment Operator | Heavy Machinery Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $45,053 | $31,351 |
| Hourly rate | $21.66 | $15.07 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 54,823 | 37,580 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Road equipment operators and heavy machinery operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Road Equipment Operator | Heavy Machinery Operator | |
| Average salary | $45,053 | $31,351 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $57,000 | Between $24,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Reedley, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Dairy Farmers of America |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a road equipment operator and a heavy machinery operator in terms of educational background:
| Road Equipment Operator | Heavy Machinery Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between road equipment operators' and heavy machinery operators' demographics:
| Road Equipment Operator | Heavy Machinery Operator | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 7.2% 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% |