Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Human Advantage 68%
Significant human skills needed
AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.8 / 10
This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.
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.
Also Known As: Angle Dozer Operator, Asphalt Roller Operator, Back Hoe Operator, Backhoe Operator, Blade Grader Operator, Blade Operator, Bulldozer Engineer, Bulldozer Operator +80 more
Core 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.
- 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.
- Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
- Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.
Supplemental Tasks (8)
- Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability.
- Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.
- 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.
- Turn valves to control air or water output of compressors or pumps.
Education & Training
Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: 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.
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.
Technology & Tools
Hot Technologies
Software (6)
Tools & Equipment (147)
Where This Career Leads
Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.
Equipment Operation & Maintenance Advanced Manufacturing
Zone 1
Logging Equipment Operators 77% match
Zone 2
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