Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Also called: Angle Dozer Operator, Asphalt Roller Operator, Back Hoe Operator, Backhoe Operator, Blade Grader Operator, Blade Operator, Bulldozer Engineer, Bulldozer Operator
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.
What Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators do
Typical 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.
- 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.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary
The median annual wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is $59,850 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $42,190 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $101,090. The mean annual wage is $66,290.
The mean hourly wage of $31.00 is 4.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $59,850 → in 3 years $66,000 → in 5 years $70,400 → in 10 years $82,700 (10-year range $71,200–$96,100). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators United States | 建設機械オペレーター Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $59,850 | ¥4.88M ≈ $31,024 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $82,700 | ¥6.38M |
| Outlook score | 58 | 57 |
| AI replacement risk | 15% Very low | 37% Low |
| Workers | 478K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.