Occupation Details
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.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
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.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$48,320.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$75,670.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$103,890.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
13,740
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
16,480
+274 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
1,852
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.2%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
Some Training - Certificate or hands-on training
Experience Requirements
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education Requirements
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Apprenticeship
Contact your regional representative to learn more about apprenticeships available in your area by visiting Apprenticeship Contacts.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- 15-ton truck cranes
- 18-ton hydraulic cranes
- 20-ton tractors
- Adjustable wrenches
- Aeroil propane kettles
- Air compressors
- Angle dozers
- Aquatic weed harvesters
- Asphalt compactors
- Asphalt pavers
- Asphalt spreader boxes
- Axes
- Backhoe attachments
- Backhoes
- Barrier movers
- Basin machines
- Belly dumpers
- Belt loaders
- Blade attachments
- Box scrapers
- Bucket attachments
- Bulldozers
- Cell phones
- Chain saws
- Chemical-resistant clothing
- Cherry pickers
- Chip spreaders
- Churn drills
- Concrete saws
- Crawler dozers
Technology
- Maintenance record software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- demonstrate goods or services
- fasten attachments or accessories to tractor
- signal directions or warnings to coworkers
- set up heavy construction equipment
- maintain or repair construction machinery or equipment
- install equipment or attachments on machinery or related structures
- understand construction specifications
- operate tractor with accessories or attachments
- operate earth-moving or other heavy construction equipment
- operate crane in construction, manufacturing or repair setting
- grade or redistribute earth for roads or other construction
- control operation of compressors
- operate material moving, loading, or unloading equipment
- operate power driven pumps
- use hand or power tools
- use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
- operate hoist, winch, or hydraulic boom
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Learn and follow safety regulations.
- Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
- Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability.
- 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.
- Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
- Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
- 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.
- Perform specialized work, using equipment, such as pile drivers, dredging rigs, drillers, or concrete pumpers.
- Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.
- Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
- Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors.
- Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.
- Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.
- Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.
- Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.
- Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
- Drive tractor-trailer trucks to move equipment from site to site.
- Push other equipment when extra traction or assistance is required.
- Operate road watering, oiling, or rolling equipment, or street sealing equipment, such as chip spreaders.
- Operate compactors, scrapers, or rollers to level, compact, or cover refuse at disposal grounds.
- Test atmosphere for adequate oxygen or explosive conditions when working in confined spaces.
- Compile cost estimates for jobs.
- Turn valves to control air or water output of compressors or pumps.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Construction Equipment Operators
Visit this link for information on this career in the military.
Learn MoreConstruction equipment operators
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
Learn More