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Boston Career Explorer

Construction and Extraction

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

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.

Also called: Back Hoe Operator, Engineering Equipment Operator, Equipment Operator (EO), Forklift Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO), Hot Mix Asphalt Operator

Compare with my current job (First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$76,940
$36.99/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
6,370
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+6.3%
930 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$54,010$62,620$76,940$114,410$125,860

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.
  • Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure18 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 21
  • Language-model AIOE 12
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 21

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

This job has lower AI exposure, and observed AI use is little or none. Software and machine guidance tools may help with lining up equipment and planning work. Running heavy machines, watching for hazards, and responding to crew signals on a busy site still depend on people.

Likely to change

  • Aligning machines with grade and stakes
  • Planning and tracking equipment work

Still relies on people

  • Spotting hazards, utility lines, and workers
  • Responding to crew hand signals safely

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Crane and Tower Operators

    Working levers and pedals and following crew signals carry over directly to crane work, which offers higher median pay and faster projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$21,200 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +16.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

    Your experience with excavation and underground work carries over to installing underground piping, with apprenticeship training and strong Boston median pay.

    Pay difference
    +$19,820 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.5%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

    Safety habits and awareness of utility lines carry over to power-line work, which offers higher median pay and faster projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$34,550 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +13.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Who employs operating engineers and other construction equipment operators on Boston construction projects

Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, not who has openings.

517,181 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Equipment Operator, Hoisting Engineer).

13.4%
of hours by boston residents
18.7%
of hours by people of color
5.1%
of hours by women
Top employers by worker hours
EmployerWorker hoursBoston resident shareProjects
Brandsafway Services, Llc63,46422.8%10
Marr Crane & Rigging51,40724.7%6
Liberty Construction Services35,98520.9%3
A. A. Will Corporation33,6769.6%7
J. Derenzo Company32,1481.5%14
W.L. French Excavating30,18211.3%10
The Welch Corporation21,94817.1%11
G&C Concrete19,5404.3%17

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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