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 2019 to 2021.- Minimum
- $20.00
- Median
- $29.23
- Maximum
- $40.00
Job prospects for 2021-2025
sr.comparaison-region.titre
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 2021-2025
Job prospects
All of Québec
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Total jobs for 2020
All of Québec
13,000
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 1.7% Female
- 98.3% Male
Not available.
- 1.7% Female
- 98.3% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2015
All of Québec
$55,000
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 2361% of jobs
-
NAICS 218% of jobs
-
NAICS 916% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 565% of jobs
-
NAICS 3214% of jobs
-
Others16% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 2361% of jobs
-
NAICS 218% of jobs
-
NAICS 916% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 565% of jobs
-
NAICS 3214% of jobs
-
Others16% 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: 81.5%
4.7% of graduates pursue further studies
DVS in conduite de machinerie lourde en voirie forestière
Code : 5273
Placement rate: 76.2%
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.
Note about CNP
Occupational information is provided based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016. The 5-digit code of the NOC 2021 is shown in parentheses for information purposes only for occupations that correspond to those of NOC 2016.
Official name of the NOC 7521 (73400)
Heavy equipment operators (except crane)
Job titles
- Forest Road Machine Operators
- Heavy Equipment Operators
- Power Shovel Operators
- Dozer operator
- Road grader operator
- Backhoe operator
- Caterpillar car operator
- Heavy-duty equipment operator
- Heavy-duty equipment operator apprentice
- Asphalt-paving machine operator
- Asphalt street paver operator
- Road mixer operator
- Bituminous paver operator - heavy equipment
- Front end loader operator
- Payloader operator
- Mucking machine operator - construction
- Buggy-operator skinner
- Buggy-scraper operator
- Dredge runner
- 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
- Earth-moving equipment operator
- Pile-driving hammer operator
- Elevating grader operator
- Ditching machine operator
- Power shovel operator
- Industrial backhoe operator
- Side boom operator - pipeline construction
- Asphalt-grooving machine operator
- Road roller operator
- Asphalt roller operator
- Scraper operator
- Elevating scraper operator
- Tractor operator - construction
- Caterpillar operator
- Side boom tractor operator
- Tractor-excavator operator
- Rotary trencher operator
- Aerial tram operator
- Bobcat 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
- Trenching machine operator
- Heavy equipment operating engineer
- Structural hydraulic jack erector
- 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
- Construction equipment operator
- Surface mining equipment operator
- Electrical equipment operator - shovel
- Ho-ram operator
- Power grader 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
- Heavy construction-equipment operator
Skill type
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
Last update: November 15, 2022
