Sanitary landfill operator vs equipment operator

The differences between sanitary landfill operators and equipment 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 sanitary landfill operator and an equipment operator. Additionally, a sanitary landfill operator has an average salary of $42,639, which is higher than the $31,739 average annual salary of an equipment operator.

The top three skills for a sanitary landfill operator include equipment operation, CDL and landfill operations. The most important skills for an equipment operator are CDL, loaders, and asphalt.

Sanitary landfill operator vs equipment operator overview

	Sanitary Landfill Operator	Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$42,639	$31,739
Hourly rate	$20.50	$15.26
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	29,480	62,473
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Sanitary landfill operator vs equipment operator salary

Sanitary landfill operators and equipment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sanitary Landfill Operator	Equipment Operator
Average salary	$42,639	$31,739
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $55,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Indianapolis, IN
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Nelsen Partners
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between sanitary landfill operator and equipment operator education

There are a few differences between a sanitary landfill operator and an equipment operator in terms of educational background:

	Sanitary Landfill Operator	Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Civil Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Sanitary landfill operator vs equipment operator demographics

Here are the differences between sanitary landfill operators' and equipment operators' demographics:

	Sanitary Landfill Operator	Equipment Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8%	Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between sanitary landfill operator and equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Sanitary landfill operator example responsibilities.

Run heavy equipment including compactor and ATD.
Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.
Operate knuckle boom as necessary.
Perform preventive maintenance checks and services on designate equipment.
Operate heavy equipment and supply mechanical assistance when need.
Execute daily operations of finish grading and various equipment operation.

Equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate track loader, dozer, excavator, track skid loader, rubber tire loader, and haul truck as assigned.
Operate heavy equipment including loaders and rollers.
Operate bulldozers, compactors, and scrapers for residential land development
Work include backhoe operation, equipment operation, landscaping and snow removal
Operate backhoes and trench diggers.

Sanitary landfill operator vs equipment operator skills

Common sanitary landfill operator skills

Equipment Operation, 25%
CDL, 24%
Landfill Operations, 17%
Loaders, 14%
Water Truck, 11%
Waste Materials, 6%

Common equipment operator skills

CDL, 10%
Loaders, 7%
Asphalt, 5%
Backhoe, 5%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 4%

Sanitary Landfill Operator vs. similar jobs

Sanitary Landfill Operator related careers

Sanitary Landfill Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Construction and Extraction Industry
Sanitary Landfill Operator
Sanitary Landfill Operator vs Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse construction and extraction jobs