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Heavy Equipment Operator

Run the excavators, loaders, and dozers that move earth on a construction site.

What it pays in the U.S.

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.

Median pay (national)$59,850about $28.78 an hour
Typical range$42,190 – $101,090lowest to highest tenth of earners
Usual way inHigh school diploma or equivalentthen 1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Wage figures are 2025 survey data for United States, shown nationally because no state figure was reported. They describe what people in this job earn now, not what any one person will be offered.

Demand in United States

Employment is projected to change 4% between 2024 and 2034. About 41,900 openings are projected each year.

What the work actually is

  • Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
  • Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.
  • Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.
  • Drive tractor-trailer trucks to move equipment from site to site.
  • Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.
  • Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.

Read the full Occupational Outlook Handbook entry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Licensing, by state

Licensing is set by each state, so there is no national answer. Choose a state above to see which licenses it requires for this career, or look one up with the CareerOneStop License Finder.

Certifications employers recognize

These are national certifications, issued by industry bodies rather than a state. Most are optional, but they are how you prove skill to an employer.

Apprenticeships, by state

Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. Each state runs its own registration office, which is where to start when you want to find an open program.

Choose a state above to see the offices that register apprenticeships there.

Search open programs directly at apprenticeship.gov.

Now find the schools.

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