Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$59,850

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$48,680 – $77,170

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

478,090

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+4.6%

At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)

Openings a year (projected)

39,200

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

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.

Main tasks

• Learn and follow safety regulations.
• Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
• Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
• Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
• Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
• Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
• Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines.
• Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 1–2

Little to some preparation

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 2 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

  $57,430 median · +1% projected

• Hoist and Winch Operators

  $56,450 median · +0.2% projected

• Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

  $65,510 median · +6.7% projected

• Continuous Mining Machine Operators

  $61,810 median · +3.2% projected

• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

  $46,420 median · +1.5% projected

• Crane and Tower Operators

  $68,080 median · +3.8% projected