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Operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads, or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads, and foundations of structures such as buildings, bridges, and piers.
Ability to work at heights. Construction equipment operators may need to service pulleys or other devices located at the top of structures, which may be several stories tall.
Hand-eye-foot coordination. Construction equipment operators should have steady hands and feet to guide and control heavy machinery precisely, sometimes in tight spaces.
Mechanical skills. Construction equipment operators often perform basic maintenance on the equipment they operate. As a result, they should be familiar with hand and power tools and standard equipment care.
Physical stamina. Construction equipment operators may be required to frequently push, carry, or move heavy objects.
Physical strength. Construction equipment operators may be required to lift more than 50 pounds as part of their duties.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
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88% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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83% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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75% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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74% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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73% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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73% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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67% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
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100% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
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72% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
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78% | Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. | |
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75% | Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. | |
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75% | Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object. | |
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72% | Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears. | |
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66% | Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
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100% | Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? | |
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100% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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95% | Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? | |
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91% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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90% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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90% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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89% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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89% | Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? | |
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88% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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85% | Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment? | |
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82% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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80% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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80% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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79% | Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? | |
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79% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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76% | Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? | |
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76% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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76% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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73% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
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70% | In an Open Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or equipment (e.g., tractor)? | |
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68% | Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions? | |
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68% | Exposed to Whole Body Vibration - How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (e.g., operate a jackhammer)? | |
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66% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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70% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
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92% | Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). | |
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90% | Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. | |
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89% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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85% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. | |
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82% | Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. | |
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80% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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80% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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77% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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72% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. | |
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71% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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71% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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67% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
Construction equipment operators drive, maneuver, or control the heavy machinery used to construct roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures.
Construction equipment operators typically do the following:
Construction equipment operators use machinery to move building supplies, earth, and other heavy materials at construction sites and mines. They operate equipment that clears and grades land to prepare it for the construction of roads, bridges, buildings, aircraft runways, dams, and other structures.
The following are examples of types of construction equipment operators:
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work with one or several types of power construction equipment. They may operate excavation and loading machines equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets that dig sand, gravel, earth, or similar materials. They also operate bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, and similar equipment. Sometimes, they drive and control industrial trucks or tractors equipped with forklifts or booms for lifting materials. They may also operate and maintain air compressors, pumps, and other power equipment at construction sites.
Paving and surfacing equipment operators control the machines that spread and level asphalt or spread and smooth concrete for roadways or other structures. Tamping equipment operators use machines that compact earth and other fill materials for roadbeds and other construction sites or that break up old pavement and drive guardrail posts into the ground.
Pile driver operators use large machines mounted on skids, barges, or cranes to hammer piles into the ground. Piles are long, heavy beams of concrete, wood, or steel driven into the ground to support retaining walls, bridges, piers, or building foundations. Some pile driver operators work on offshore oil rigs.
Workers who operate cranes are covered in the material moving machine operators profile.
Construction equipment operators held about 483,300 jobs in 2022. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up construction equipment operators was distributed as follows:
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | 437,600 |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators | 42,300 |
| Pile driver operators | 3,300 |
The largest employers of construction equipment operators were as follows:
| Specialty trade contractors | 29% |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | 28 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 14 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 5 |
| Construction of buildings | 5 |
Construction equipment operators work even in unpleasant weather, although rain or extreme cold can stop some types of construction. Workers often get dirty, greasy, muddy, or dusty. Some operators work in remote locations on large construction projects, such as highways and dams, or in factories or mines.
Construction equipment operators risk injury from hazards such as falls, slips, and trips and transportation incidents. Workers can avoid injury by observing proper operating procedures and safety practices, such as wearing personal protective equipment. Bulldozers, scrapers, and pile drivers are noisy and shake or jolt the operator, which may lead to repetitive stress injuries.
Construction equipment operators may have irregular schedules, such as continuing around the clock or late into the night. Most construction equipment operators work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. The work may be seasonal in areas of the country that experience extreme cold.
Workers may learn equipment operation on the job after earning a high school diploma or equivalent, through an apprenticeship, or by attending vocational schools.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to become a construction equipment operator. Vocational training and math courses are useful, and a course in automotive mechanics may be helpful because workers often maintain their equipment.
Learning at vocational schools may be beneficial in finding a job. Schools may specialize in a particular brand or type of construction equipment.
Some schools incorporate sophisticated simulator training into their courses, allowing beginners to familiarize themselves with the equipment in a virtual environment before operating real machines.
Many workers learn their jobs by operating light equipment, such as a trench roller, under the guidance of an experienced operator. Later, they may operate heavier equipment, such as bulldozers. Operators of some equipment, such as machines with computerized controls, may need more training and some understanding of electronics.
Other workers learn their trade through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship. For each year of a typical program, apprentices must complete a predetermined number of hours of technical instruction and paid on-the-job training. Apprenticeship program requirements differ based on the type of program and by region. During technical instruction, apprentices learn operating procedures for equipment as well as safety practices, first aid, and how to read grading plans. On the job, apprentices learn to maintain equipment, operate machinery, and use technology, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) devices.
After completing an apprenticeship program, apprentices are considered journey workers and perform tasks with less guidance.
Construction equipment operators often need a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to haul their equipment to various jobsites. State laws governing CDLs vary.
A few states have special licenses for operators of backhoes, loaders, and bulldozers.
Some states and cities require pile driver operators to have a crane license, because similar operational concerns apply to both pile drivers and cranes. Requirements vary by state. For more information, contact your local or state licensing board.
Overall employment of construction equipment operators is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 42,300 openings for construction equipment operators are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of construction equipment operators varies by occupation (see table).
Spending on infrastructure is expected to increase, resulting in some new jobs over the decade. Across the country, many roads, bridges, and water and sewer systems are in need of repair. In addition, population growth will require new infrastructure, such as roads and sewer lines, the projects for which are expected to generate jobs.
For information about apprenticeships or job opportunities as a construction equipment operator, contact local cement or highway construction contractors, a local joint union-management apprenticeship committee, or the nearest office of your state employment service or apprenticeship agency. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor's Apprenticeship program online or by phone at 877-872-5627. Visit apprenticeship.gov to search for apprenticeship opportunities.
For more information about construction equipment operators, visit
The Associated General Contractors of America
Pile Driving Contractors Association
For more information about training of construction equipment operators, visit
International Union of Operating Engineers
For more information about crane certification and licensure for pile driver operators, visit
National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators
For information about opportunities for military veterans, visit:
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of construction equipment operators.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Material Moving Machine Operators |
Material moving machine operators use equipment to transport objects. |
See How to Become One | $41,730 |
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Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers |
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. |
Postsecondary nondegree award | $49,920 |
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Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers |
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers run establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $75,760 |
|
Agricultural Workers |
Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. |
See How to Become One | $33,290 |