Career roadmap
How to become Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Median annual wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) — BLS OEWS, May 2023.
What you would actually do
The tasks that make up the work of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, weighted by how central each one is to the job.
- Update job related knowledge or skills.
- Position construction or extraction equipment.
- Move construction or extraction materials to locations where they are needed.
- Locate equipment or materials in need of repair or replacement.
- Monitor construction operations.
- Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
- Maintain construction tools or equipment.
- Load or unload materials used in construction or extraction.
The skills that actually carry the job
Scored on how much the work depends on each one — not a wishlist, a measurement.
- Operation and Control4.1/5
- Operations Monitoring3.3/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.3/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Troubleshooting3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Reading Comprehension2.9/5
- Speaking2.9/5
- Critical Thinking2.9/5
Would this suit you?
Every occupation leans on a particular mix of interests. Here is the mix measured for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators — and our free 2-minute Career Match scores you on the same six.
- Realistic7.0/7
Hands-on, practical, working with tools, machines or the body
- Conventional3.9/7
Ordering, checking, following a precise procedure accurately
- Investigative2.9/7
Investigating, diagnosing, reasoning through problems with evidence
- Enterprising1.3/7
Persuading, leading, selling, taking commercial risk
- Social1.1/7
Helping, teaching, caring for and working directly with people
- Artistic1.0/7
Creating, expressing, working without a fixed procedure
Interest profiles from the O*NET 29.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0.
