Special equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver

The differences between special equipment operators and equipment operators-driver can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special equipment operator has an average salary of $44,694, which is higher than the $36,429 average annual salary of an equipment operator-driver.

The top three skills for a special equipment operator include loaders, CDL and production lines. The most important skills for an equipment operator-driver are CDL, dump truck, and loaders.

Special equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver overview

	Special Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Yearly salary	$44,694	$36,429
Hourly rate	$21.49	$17.51
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	54,350	607,301
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	44	45
Years of experience	-	4

Special equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver salary

Special equipment operators and equipment operators-driver have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Special Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average salary	$44,694	$36,429
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $58,000	Between $28,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Goodyear, AZ	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Arkansas Electric Cooperative	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between special equipment operator and equipment operator-driver education

There are a few differences between a special equipment operator and an equipment operator-driver in terms of educational background:

	Special Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Special equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver demographics

Here are the differences between special equipment operators' and equipment operators-driver' demographics:

	Special Equipment Operator	Equipment Operator-Driver
Average age	44	45
Gender ratio	Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 17.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 25.5% Asian, 1.0% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	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	10%	2%

Differences between special equipment operator and equipment operator-driver duties and responsibilities

Special equipment operator example responsibilities.

Obtain CDL to drive large trucks.
Use a RF computer attach on fork truck.
Return any leftover material to previous location and relocate in system with RF scanner.
Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.
Analyze past occurrences to apply preventative maintenance.

Equipment operator-driver example responsibilities.

Deliver hazmat material to job site.
Operate airfield/street sweepers to remove debris from pavement surfaces.
Unload full pallets and double pallets of groceries and merchandise.
Landscape, plant flowers, grass, shrubs and bushes.
Arrive at and depart from pickup and discharge points as required.
Conduct pre and post trip inspections and regularly service the vehicles.

Special equipment operator vs equipment operator-driver skills

Common special equipment operator skills

Loaders, 51%
CDL, 25%
Production Lines, 9%
RF, 8%
DOT, 4%
Clamp Truck, 2%

Common equipment operator-driver skills

CDL, 23%
Dump Truck, 10%
Loaders, 7%
Tractor Trailer, 5%
DOT, 5%
Post-Trip Inspections, 4%

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Special Equipment Operator vs Equipment Operator-Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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