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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators - 47-2073.00

O*NET-SOC Description

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.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

  • Equipment Operator
  • Heavy Equipment Operator
  • Operating Engineer
  • Back Hoe Operator
  • Loader Operator
  • Machine Operator
  • Motor Grader Operator
  • Track Hoe Operator
  • Excavator Operator
  • Grader Operator

SOC Occupation Groups

47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations
47-2000 Construction Trades Workers
47-2070 Construction Equipment Operators
47-2073.00 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Related Occupations

Tasks

  • Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.
  • Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
  • Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability.
  • Compile cost estimates for jobs.
  • Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors.
  • Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
  • 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.
  • Drive tractor-trailer trucks to move equipment from site to site.
  • Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
  • Learn and follow safety regulations.
  • Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.
  • Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
  • Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
  • Operate compactors, scrapers, or rollers to level, compact, or cover refuse at disposal grounds.
  • Operate conveyors to remove grit and debris from digesters.
  • Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.
  • Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.
  • Operate road watering, oiling, or rolling equipment, or street sealing equipment, such as chip spreaders.
  • 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.
  • Push other equipment when extra traction or assistance is required.
  • Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.
  • Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.
  • Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines.
  • Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
  • Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
  • Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.
  • 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.

Detailed Work Activities

  • control operation of compressors
  • demonstrate goods or services
  • fasten attachments or accessories to tractor
  • grade or redistribute earth for roads or other construction
  • install equipment or attachments on machinery or related structures
  • maintain or repair construction machinery or equipment
  • operate crane in construction, manufacturing or repair setting
  • operate earth-moving or other heavy construction equipment
  • operate hoist, winch, or hydraulic boom
  • operate material moving, loading, or unloading equipment
  • operate power driven pumps
  • operate tractor with accessories or attachments
  • set up heavy construction equipment
  • signal directions or warnings to coworkers
  • understand construction specifications
  • use hand or power tools
  • use measuring devices in construction or extraction work

Military Crosswalk Titles

  • Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV)/Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) Operator (Marine Corps - Enlisted)
  • Construction Equipment Operator (Army - Enlisted)
  • Elevated Causeway System (Modular) Specialist (Navy - Enlisted)
  • Engineer Equipment Operator (Marine Corps - Enlisted)
  • Equipment Operator (Coast Guard - Enlisted)
  • Equipment Operator (Navy - Enlisted)
  • Equipment Operator - Construction (Coast Guard - Enlisted)
  • Equipment Operator - Hauling (Coast Guard - Enlisted)
  • Equipment Operator Basic (Navy - Enlisted)
  • General Construction Equipment Operator (Army - Enlisted)
  • Heavy Construction Equipment Operator (Army - Enlisted)

Apprenticeship Crosswalk Titles

  • Elevating-Grader Operator
  • Motor-Grader Operator
  • Operating Engineer

DOT Crosswalk Titles

  • Bulldozer Operator I
  • Ditcher Operator
  • Elevating-Grader Operator
  • Form-Grader Operator
  • Motor-Grader Operator
  • Operating Engineer
  • Operating-Engineer Apprentice
  • Sanitary Landfill Operator
  • Scraper Operator
  • Utility-Tractor Operator