What Do Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Do?
Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Job Description 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.
List of Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Job Duties
- Push other equipment when extra traction or assistance is required.
- Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
- Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.
- Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
- Operate conveyors to remove grit and debris from digesters.
- Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability.
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Things an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Should Know How to Do
These are the skills Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Equipment Operating Engineer
- Road Machine Operator
- Roller Operator
- Machine Operator
- Power Grader Operator
Are There Job Opportunities for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 371,100 jobs in the United States for Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 45,800 new jobs for Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 47,300 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator are Utah, Nevada, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Alaska, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator Salary
The typical yearly salary for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators is somewhere between $31,320 and $84,160.

Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators who work in Illinois, Hawaii, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $40,930 |
Alaska | $70,750 |
Arizona | $47,110 |
Arkansas | $36,750 |
California | $73,130 |
Colorado | $49,750 |
Connecticut | $71,060 |
Delaware | $42,820 |
District of Columbia | $61,320 |
Florida | $40,160 |
Georgia | $37,580 |
Hawaii | $78,470 |
Idaho | $46,810 |
Illinois | $77,090 |
Indiana | $58,180 |
Iowa | $48,510 |
Kansas | $41,200 |
Kentucky | $47,930 |
Louisiana | $46,160 |
Maine | $43,400 |
Maryland | $49,560 |
Massachusetts | $67,410 |
Michigan | $52,800 |
Minnesota | $62,770 |
Mississippi | $38,310 |
Missouri | $53,990 |
Montana | $51,580 |
Nebraska | $43,590 |
Nevada | $58,410 |
New Hampshire | $50,230 |
New Jersey | $75,150 |
New Mexico | $44,900 |
New York | $81,930 |
North Carolina | $39,990 |
North Dakota | $55,440 |
Ohio | $56,600 |
Oklahoma | $41,710 |
Oregon | $55,800 |
Pennsylvania | $53,320 |
Rhode Island | $64,820 |
South Carolina | $40,220 |
South Dakota | $44,150 |
Tennessee | $41,180 |
Texas | $41,730 |
Utah | $48,640 |
Vermont | $42,930 |
Virginia | $42,470 |
Washington | $67,260 |
West Virginia | $45,280 |
Wisconsin | $62,540 |
Wyoming | $58,270 |
What Tools & Technology do Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
- Maintenance record software
How do I Become an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator?
Learn what Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator education requirements there are.

How Long Does it Take to Become an Operating Engineer or Construction Equipment Operator?

Where Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators Work

Below are examples of industries where Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators work:

References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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