Screed operator vs heavy equipment operator

The differences between screed operators and heavy equipment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a screed operator, becoming a heavy equipment operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a screed operator has an average salary of $40,762, which is higher than the $39,822 average annual salary of a heavy equipment operator.

The top three skills for a screed operator include asphalt, OSHA and loaders. The most important skills for a heavy equipment operator are loaders, backhoe, and CDL.

Screed operator vs heavy equipment operator overview

	Screed Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$40,762	$39,822
Hourly rate	$19.60	$19.15
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	29,842	47,261
Job satisfaction	5	4.6
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 63%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	4

Screed operator vs heavy equipment operator salary

Screed operators and heavy equipment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Screed Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average salary	$40,762	$39,822
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $57,000	Between $27,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Moody's
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between screed operator and heavy equipment operator education

There are a few differences between a screed operator and a heavy equipment operator in terms of educational background:

	Screed Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 63%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Screed operator vs heavy equipment operator demographics

Here are the differences between screed operators' and heavy equipment operators' demographics:

	Screed Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 0.9% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between screed operator and heavy equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Screed operator example responsibilities.

Operate screed to apply asphalt per plan and quality specifications as instructed by crew superintendent to insure daily schedules/estimates are meet.
Programme CNC machine for component placement and trigonometry assessment of circuitry board.
Work together as a four-man team manually making plywood, pull green chain.

Heavy equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate trucks and equipment such as backhoe, dump trucks, front-end loader, hydraulic excavator, skid steers and bulldozers.
Operate heavy equipment including, but limit to, backhoe, excavators, bobcats, forklifts, trucks and wheel loaders.
Operate equipment used for construction purposes such as tankers, cranes, bulldozers, loaders, compost mixers and excavators.
Put down mulch cut grass, plant and dig up.
Work with asphalt, cut down trees, and dig trenches.

Screed operator vs heavy equipment operator skills

Common screed operator skills

Asphalt, 75%
OSHA, 10%
Loaders, 4%
Topcon, 3%
Electrical Systems, 2%
Hydraulic Systems, 2%

Common heavy equipment operator skills

Loaders, 9%
Backhoe, 6%
CDL, 6%
Asphalt, 5%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Dump Truck, 5%

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Screed Operator vs Heavy Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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