Construction Equipment Operators
Job description
These individuals operate construction equipment used to build and maintain various structures (roads, tunnels, buildings, etc.). They also assist in the operation of mines and quarries and in the handling of materials.
Environment
- Climatic conditions
- Equipment, machinery, tools
- Vehicle or passenger compartment
- Odours
- Nontoxic dust
- Uncontrolled ambient temperature
- Hazardous workplaces
- Noise
- Vibration
Main tasks
- Operate heavy machinery (bulldozers, loaders, graders, etc.).
- Dig, move, and grade earth, rock, or gravel during construction work.
- Clear brush, fell trees, and build roads before logging.
- Push down support pillars.
- Dig up stream beds and remove fill material.
- Spread, disperse, or compress concrete and asphalt.
- Remove rock or ore from a mine or quarry.
- Move, load, and unload cargo.
- Carry out the pre-checks before using the machines.
- Clean and lubricate the machines and fill their tanks.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to supervisory positions.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $23.61
- Median
- $34.00
- Maximum
- $43.00
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
19,000
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 2.1% Female
- 97.9% Male
Not available.
- 2.1% Female
- 97.9% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$64,500
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Seasonal worker
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Seasonal worker
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 2360% of jobs
-
NAICS 219% of jobs
-
NAICS 915% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 565% of jobs
-
NAICS 3214% of jobs
-
Others17% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 2360% of jobs
-
NAICS 219% of jobs
-
NAICS 915% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 565% of jobs
-
NAICS 3214% of jobs
-
Others17% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
Secondary
DVS in conduite d'engins de chantier
Code : 5220
Placement rate: 81.8%
7.6% of graduates pursue further studies
DVS in conduite de machinerie lourde en voirie forestière
Code : 5273
Placement rate: 81.9%
8.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Certificate of qualification.
Sometimes required
- The successful completion of an internal review is sometimes required in some settings.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Operations and control
- Data collection
- Monitoring operations
- Information processing
- Result evaluation
- Active learning
- Reading comprehension
- Coordination
- Troubleshooting
- Active listening
- Equipment maintenance
- Oral expression
- Time management
- Judgment and decision-making
- Critical thought
- Social perception
- Persuasion
- Repair
- Solving complex problems
- Equipment selection
Abilities
- Limb coordination
- Control accuracy
- Depth perception
- Manual dexterity
- Reaction time
- Speed control
- Response orientation
- Hand-arm stability
- Distance vision
- Spatial orientation
- Near vision
- Auditory attention
- Digital dexterity
- Peripheral vision
- Hearing sensitivity
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Speech recognition
- Awareness of issues
- Selective attention
- Speech clarity
- Written comprehension
- Static muscle power
- Time sharing
- Colour perception and distinction
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Perception speed
- Processing flexibility
- Visualization
- Limb movement speed
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Focussed on results
- Autonomy
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to adapt
- Versatility
- Intermediate knowledge of the English language
- Respect standards and regulations
- Knowledge of buildings and construction
- Knowledge of mechanics
Interests
- Work in transportation and maintenance
- Work manually
- Work outdoors
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Official name of the NOC 73400
Heavy equipment operators
Job titles
- Power Shovel Operators
- Power grader operator
- Heavy Equipment Operators
- Forest Road Machine Operators
- Earth-moving equipment operator
- Grader operator
- Power shovel operator
- Road roller operator
- Apprentice heavy equipment operator
- Asphalt-paving machine operator
- Asphalt street paver operator
- Pile-driving hammer operator
- Spreader operator - heavy equipment
- Asphalt spreader operator
- Concrete spreader operator - heavy equipment
- Excavator operator
- Bucketwheel-excavator operator
- Hydraulic excavator operator
- Continuous bucket excavator operator
- Ditching machine operator
- Trench-digging machine operator
- Road mixer operator
- Bituminous paver operator - heavy equipment
- Bulldozer driver
- Front end loader operator
- Payloader operator
- Mucker operator - construction
- Buggy-operator skinner
- Buggy-scraper operator
- Dredge operator
- Snow-grooming machine operator
- Concrete-paving machine operator
- Road planer operator
- Street paver operator
- Peat-moss-gathering machine operator
- Snow removal equipment operator - private home
- Elevating grader operator
- Backhoe operator
- Industrial backhoe operator
- Side boom operator - pipeline construction
- Asphalt-grooving machine operator
- Asphalt roller operator
- Scraper operator
- Elevating scraper operator
- Tractor operator - construction
- Cat operator
- Side boom tractor operator
- Tractor-excavator operator
- Rotary trencher operator
- Aerial tram operator
- Caterpillar car operator
- Bobcat operator
- Heavy equipment operating engineer
- Structural hydraulic jack erector
- Heavy construction-equipment operator
- Asphalt plant operator
- Shield operator
- Loader operator - construction
- Track-loader operator
- Boom-conveyor operator
- Vibratory roller operator
- Ripper operator - heavy equipment
- Tunnelling machine operator
- Horizontal earth-boring machine operator
- Pipelayer operator
- Peat-moss-cutting machine operator
- Stacker operator - heavy equipment
- Paver operator
- Grooving machine operator - heavy equipment
- Concrete-grooving machine operator
- Groove-cutting machine operator
- Excavating machine operator
- Forest road machine operator
- Surface mining equipment operator
- Construction equipment operator
- Electrical equipment operator - shovel
- Ho-ram operator
- Shovel operator - heavy equipment
- Stripping shovel operator
- Mining shovel operator (except underground)
- Asphalt batch plant operator
- Asphalt-paving screed operator
- Pulvimixer operator
- Heater-planer operator
- Gradall operator
- Bucketwheel operator
- Roller operator
- Vibratory road roller operator
- Scarifier operator
- Marine railway operator
- Mole operator
- Crawler tractor operator
- Ditcher operator - construction
- Pile driver winch operator
Skill type
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
Last update: January 29, 2026
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