Description
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
Interests
- Realistic
- Conventional
Work Values
- Support
- Independence
- Relationships
Work Styles
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Cooperation
Tasks
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
- Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.
- Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
- Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads.
Work Activities
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Detailed Work Activities
- Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
- Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Technology Skills
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Industrial control software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
Abilities
- Control Precision
- Multilimb Coordination
- Depth Perception
- Manual Dexterity
- Reaction Time
Skills
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
Knowledge
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Heavy Equipment Operator: ExcavatorCertifying Organization
National Center for Construction Education and Research
Type
Product/Equipment
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $49,661 |
| Median (50%) | $56,422 |
| High (90%) | $64,899 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $55,536 |
| Mid Level | $58,447 |
| Senior Level | $60,039 |
| Expert Level | $71,254 |
Employability
There are currently 34,400 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to decrease to 34,100 positions, reflecting a projected decline of -1%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of -1%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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