Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Construction & Extraction
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-2073
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.
• Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain.
• Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.
• Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Windows, 15-ton truck cranes, 18-ton hydraulic cranes, 20-ton tractors, Adjustable wrenches, Aeroil propane kettles, Air compressors, Angle dozers, Aquatic weed harvesters

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
• Hoist and Winch Operators
• Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
• Continuous Mining Machine Operators
• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
• Crane and Tower Operators
• Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
• Pile Driver Operators

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.