Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Median salary

$59,850

Average salary

$66,290

Employment

478,090

Projected growth

3.6% growth

Annual openings

41,900

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Do

Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 2.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 3.6/5
English Languageimportance 3.3/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.8/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.8/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.7/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
Transportationimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
Consequence of Error4.9/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Frequency of Decision Making4.8/5
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment4.7/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic97% skill match
Pile Driver Operators97% skill match
Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons97% skill match
Logging Equipment Operators96% skill match
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas96% skill match
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood96% skill match
Agricultural Equipment Operators96% skill match
Crane and Tower Operators96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operation and Controlimportance 4.1/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.3/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.3/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
Repairingimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Maintenance record software
Work record software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Cautiousness
Dependability
Stress Tolerance
Perseverance
Integrity
Attention to Detail
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).