Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Construction and Extraction
Uses throttles, levers, and pedals to run bulldozers, graders, excavators, loaders, and similar machines that cut, move, and grade earth or place pavement. Operators watch for utility lines, other machines, crew members, and falling objects, and they locate pipes or wires before digging. They line up cutterheads and depth gauges with stakes or guidelines and shift loads when crew members give hand or audio signals. Many also handle preventive upkeep and emergency adjustments on the machines. The work is on construction sites and suits people who like running heavy equipment, following safety rules, and staying alert to what is happening around them.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$59'850
Median Wage Market Position
$59'850
What you might do
- Run graders, dozers, and loaders to move earth
- Keep clear of utility lines and other crews
- Match machine moves to the crew's hand signals
- Line up blades with stakes and grade marks
- Find buried pipes and wires before you dig
- Repair equipment and make on-site emergency adjustments
Skills that matter
- Control of graders, dozers, and loaders
- Hazard watch for lines and other workers
- Response to hand and audio signals
- Machines lined up to stakes and grades
- Pipes and wires found before digging
- Repairs and upkeep of the equipment
AI & the future of this role
Running dozers, loaders, and graders means reading terrain and coordinating earthwork in real time on active sites. Assisted controls could take over simpler grading passes, yet overall operation and safety judgment are still likely to stay with people.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details