Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

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.

$58,320
Median Annual Pay
Jobs growth:
+4% projected 2024–2034
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical Entry-Level Education

What They Do

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators spend their days controlling powerful machinery that shapes the physical world around us. They operate bulldozers to clear land, excavators to dig foundations, cranes to lift heavy materials, and graders to smooth roads to precise specifications. On any given day, they might be moving tons of earth at a highway construction site, positioning steel beams for a new office building, or preparing ground for a residential development.

Programs That Prepare You

College programs linked to this occupation, ranked by graduate earnings

Ground Transportation(certificate)Johnson County Community College, KS
$74,114
Ground Transportation(certificate)Fox Valley Technical College, WI
$67,999
Ground Transportation(certificate)Central Lakes College-Brainerd, MN
$64,164
Ground Transportation(associates)Northwest Iowa Community College, IA
$60,943
Ground Transportation(certificate)Community College of Allegheny County, PA
$59,330
Ground Transportation(certificate)Hagerstown Community College, MD
$53,495
Ground Transportation(certificate)Elgin Community College, IL
$51,945
Ground Transportation(certificate)New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Massachusetts, MA
$51,761
Ground Transportation(certificate)New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island, RI
$51,761
Ground Transportation(certificate)State Technical College of Missouri, MO
$50,941
Ground Transportation(certificate)Waukesha County Technical College, WI
$50,682
Ground Transportation(certificate)Lincoln Land Community College, IL
$49,142
Ground Transportation(certificate)Alexandria Technical & Community College, MN
$48,587
Ground Transportation(certificate)Chattanooga State Community College, TN
$48,579
Ground Transportation(grad-cert)Schuylkill Technology Center, PA
$48,085
Ground Transportation(certificate)Northland Community and Technical College, MN
$47,879
Ground Transportation(certificate)Lake Superior College, MN
$47,879
Ground Transportation(certificate)Dakota County Technical College, MN
$47,879
Ground Transportation(certificate)Minnesota North College, MN
$47,879
Ground Transportation(certificate)Hamrick School, OH
$47,287
Ground Transportation(certificate)Minnesota State College Southeast, MN
$47,171
Ground Transportation(certificate)Bevill State Community College, AL
$47,167
Ground Transportation(certificate)Miller-Motte College-Berks Technical Institute, PA
$46,909
Ground Transportation(certificate)Miller-Motte College-Berks Technical Institute-Allentown, PA
$46,909
Ground Transportation(certificate)Miller-Motte College-Charleston, SC
$46,909

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