Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2073
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 47-2073 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 60/100
- High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $59,850
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 52,500
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.6%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 78,986 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Back Hoe Operator, Engineering Equipment Operator, Equipment Operator (EO), Forklift Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO), Hot Mix Asphalt Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Learn and follow safety regulations.
- •Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
- •Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
- •Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
- •Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Update job related knowledge or skills.
- •Position construction or extraction equipment.
- •Monitor construction operations.
- •Operate equipment or vehicles to clear construction sites or move materials.
- •Move construction or extraction materials to locations where they are needed.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 70% Bright |
| Median Salary | $59,850 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |