Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators

Career summary

Operating engineers may also be called heavy equipment operators.

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators operate several different types of equipment, such as:

• Cranes
• Bulldozers
• Hoists

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators generally use machines to move objects short distances, such as around a factory or construction site. They talk to clients and supervisors and study plans and diagrams.

They make sure all hazards are removed. Utility and power lines must be located and flagged so they don't accidentally cut them. Operators must also make sure that other workers aren't in the way when they begin to use their equipment.

Operator and engineers use a variety of equipment to smooth or grade the ground. They may also dump, remove, or spread rock and earth. To run the machines, they move hand levers and foot pedals. They also operate switches and turn dials.

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators may set up and inspect equipment. They often attach hoses, belts, and other equipment to tractors. They make adjustments as required.

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators do maintenance and make minor repairs on their machines. They also clean and service their equipment. Operators may keep records of the materials they moved. They may do some manual loading and unloading.

Related careers

This career is part of the Architecture and Construction cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Construction and Well Drillers
• Crane and Tower Operators
• Farm and Ranch Workers
• Gas and Oil Drillers
• Loggers
• Material Moving Machine Operators
• Mining Machine Operators
• Paving Equipment Operators
• Pipelayers
• Roustabouts

Military careers

• Construction Equipment Operators

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to operating engineers and construction equipment operators.

• Learn and follow safety regulations. Avoid hazards such as utility lines and falling objects.
• Talk to clients and study plans and diagrams before beginning work.
• Set up and inspect equipment.
• Control equipment by moving foot pedals or levers.
• Use equipment to remove, dump, spread, or grade earth and rock.
• Operate switches and valves on equipment.
• Send signals to operators and assistants to guide movement of equipment.
• Make adjustments and minor repairs to equipment when necessary.
• Clean and service equipment.
• Keep records of materials moved.
• Test air to make sure there aren't explosive conditions, especially when working in small spaces.
• Operate and drive tractors or bulldozers to clear lands, mix sludge, trim backfills, and build roadways.

Common work activities

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Operate vehicles or mechanized equipment
• Inspect equipment, structures, or materials
• Get information needed to do the job
• Control machines and processes
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Handle and move objects
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Repair and maintain mechanical equipment
• Process information
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Perform activities that use the whole body
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed
• Evaluate information against standards
• Think creatively
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Develop goals and strategies
• Schedule work and activities
• Document and record information

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, operating engineers and construction equipment operators:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a medium level of social interaction. They interact with other operators and supervisors to ensure safety and receive directions.
• Communicate on a daily basis through face-to-face discussions. They also communicate by telephone, but less frequently.
• Often work as part of a team.
• Are greatly responsible for the health and safety of others.
• Are responsible for the work done by other operators and engineers.

Physical work conditions

• Usually work outdoors at construction sites.
• Are often exposed to whole body vibration when operating equipment.
• Are regularly exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting and uncomfortable.
• Often wear protective clothing, such as hard hats and gloves.
• Are often exposed to contaminants.
• Are daily exposed to very hot and or very cold temperatures because they work outdoors.
• Are exposed to hazardous equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, and hoists, on a daily basis.
• May have to work in very bright or very dim lighting, depending on the weather.
• Usually work inside equipment in which they may not be protected from the weather.
• May work physically close to other workers.

Work performance

• Must pace their work by the speed of the equipment or machinery.
• Must be exact in their work. This is to ensure the safety of others.
• Repeat the same physical and mental activities.
• Make some decisions independently, but usually seek feedback before operating machinery.
• Set some of their daily tasks and goals independently.
• Work in a moderately competitive atmosphere in which they must meet daily and weekly deadlines.

Hours/travel

• May not work for periods of time due to poor weather conditions or low construction activity.
• May work more than 40 hours per week to catch up after bad weather.

Physical demands

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators frequently:

• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Repeat the same movements.
• Sit for long periods of time.
• Bend or twist their body.

It is important for operating engineers and construction equipment operators to be able to:

• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Determine the distance between objects.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Adjust body movements or equipment controls to keep pace with speed changes of moving objects.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• React quickly using hands, fingers, or feet.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for operating engineers and construction equipment operators to be able to:

• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
• Bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• See objects in very bright or glaring light.
• Determine from which direction a sound came.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• Move arms and legs quickly.
• While looking forward, see objects or movements that are off to the side.
• Use muscles for extended periods without getting tired.
• Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath.
• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
• Make fast, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists.

Skills and abilities

Operating engineers and construction equipment operators need to:

Communicate

• Understand spoken information.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Go back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information without becoming confused.

Work with people

• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.

Work with things

• Operate and control equipment.
• Watch gauges, dials, and output to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Maintain equipment on a routine basis. Determine when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
• Determine the causes of technical problems and find solutions for them.

Perceive and visualize

• Quickly and accurately compare letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Apprenticeship Programs
• Heavy Equipment Operations

Training

To work as an operating engineer and construction equipment operator, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• complete moderate-term, on-the-job training.

Education after high school

No formal education is required beyond high school.

On-the-job training

Many operating engineers and construction equipment operators learn their skills informally on the job. In this case, you learn from an experienced worker. Training lasts several months to a year depending on the type of equipment you operate.

Military training

Some branches of the military train people to be construction equipment operators. Training lasts from four to 12 weeks, depending on your specialty. Additional training occurs on the job.

If you receive this type of training in the military, you may earn credit for previous work experience when you enter a civilian apprenticeship program.

Washington apprenticeships

For further information on apprenticeships in Washington, contact:

Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
Apprenticeship Program 
PO Box 44530
Olympia, WA 98504-4530
360.902.5320

#Address ok lh 3/6/08 lh. Checked info 3/18/09, cj. Checked info 3/9/11, 4/11/13 & 3/11/15, 4/8/19 cj.

Helpful high school courses

You should take a general high school curriculum that meets the state's graduation requirements. You will be required to take both math and science classes to graduate.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Construction
• Diesel Mechanics and Repair
• Driver Education

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers look for mechanical aptitude and coordination of eyes, hands, and feet. Operating engineers and construction equipment operators must be healthy and strong. Experience in operating farm equipment or heavy equipment in the armed forces is helpful for getting a job. Knowing safe work practices, including laws and regulations, is a plus. Employers may require applicants to have a current driver's license and take drug screening prior to and during employment. Construction site helpers are hired for summer or part-time work.

Some engineers and operators apply for jobs though the International Union of Operating Engineers. For more information, contact them at:

http://www.iuoe.org 

Costs to workers

Operators may have to buy uniforms or protective clothing. Apprentices buy reference books. Union members pay an initiation fee and quarterly or monthly dues. Operators may pay their own housing costs when working at sites away from their homes.

#Took over National Content and combined with our CTW 12/12/16 to restate link to IUOE, cj.

Licensing/certification

Construction equipment operators often need a commercial driver's license (CDL). Some states have special licensure for backhoe, loader, and bulldozer operators.

17 states and the cities of Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York, Omaha, Philadelphia and Washington, DC require a special crane licensure.

For information on Washington crane operator requirements visit the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) .

For more information on commercial driver's licenses, contact:

Washington State Department of Licensing
Driver Examining CDL Program 
PO Box 9030
Olympia, WA 98507-9030
360.902.3900

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Wages for operating engineers and construction equipment operators vary according to the type of machinery being operated.

Wages may also be affected by poor weather conditions. For example, these workers are less likely to work when the ground is muddy from snow or rain. In general, union workers receive higher wages.

Union operating engineers and construction equipment operators and those working for government agencies generally receive health insurance and a retirement plan.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• State and local government agencies
• Highway and street construction companies
• Utility system construction companies
• Heavy construction companies

National outlook

Demand for this occupation will grow due in part to increased spending by the government to improve the nation's infrastructure. In addition, as the population grows more roads and sewer lines will be needed. This will increase demand for operating engineers and construction equipment operators.

Job prospects are best for those who can operate multiple types of equipment. There are more opportunities in large cities where the most construction takes place.

Other resources

Great Jobs: Heavy Equipment Operator 
(International Union of Operating Engineers)

International Union of Operating Engineers 
1125 - 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.429.9100

National Association of Women in Construction 
327 South Adams Street
Fort Worth, TX 76104
800.552.3506
817.877.5551

North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) 
815 16th ST, NW, Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20006

Operating Engineers Regional Training Program 
16921 Vantage Highway
Ellensburg, WA 98926
509.968.3203

Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council 
906 Columbia Street SW, Suite 107
Olympia, WA 98501
360.357.6778

Western States Operating Engineers 
23500 South Operating Engineers Lane
Spangle, WA 99031-0210
509.235.9393

References

Career cluster

• Architecture and Construction

Career path

• Realistic (Technical)

O*Net  occupation

• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 2 - Some preparation needed. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed.

DOT occupations

• Operating Engineer (859.683-010) 
• Operating-engineer Apprentice (859.683-014) 

Holland occupational cluster

• Realistic/Conventional/Investigative

COPSystem

• Technology Skilled