How To Become A Wheel Loader Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a wheel loader operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a wheel loader operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.77 an hour? That's $32,803 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 56,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWheel Loader OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,803

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.86%

Asian 2.66%

Black or African American 14.97%

Hispanic or Latino 16.44%

Unknown 4.38%

White 60.69%

Gender

female 4.69%

male 95.31%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a wheel loader operator

Explore wheel loader operator education requirements

Most common wheel loader operator degrees

High School Diploma

42.9 %

Associate

17.1 %

Bachelor's

14.3 %

Start to develop specific wheel loader operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Asphalt	56.61%
Routine Maintenance	28.79%
Forks	14.60%

Complete relevant wheel loader operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New wheel loader operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a wheel loader operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real wheel loader operator resumes.

Research wheel loader operator duties and responsibilities

Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Experience also includes track hoe and dozer operations as needed.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Prepare your wheel loader operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your wheel loader operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a wheel loader operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable wheel loader operator resume templates

Build a professional wheel loader operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your wheel loader operator resume.