Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

47-2073 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Occupational 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. Excludes “Crane and Tower Operators" (53-7021) and “Extraction Workers” (47-5000).

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
First Quarter 2024

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Minnesota	7,020	379	$37.03/hr	$26.33/hr	$30.39/hr	$37.67/hr	$44.95/hr	$47.08/hr

Leading Industries for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Industry	OES Employment (Statewide)	OES Median Wage (Statewide)
Natural Resources and Mining	230	$38.29/hr
Construction	5,360	$40.18/hr
Manufacturing	90	$33.37/hr
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	140	$27.16/hr
Professional and Business Services	110	$23.55/hr
Education and Health Services	10	$36.05/hr
Leisure and Hospitality	N/A	N/A
Other Services	N/A	N/A
Public Administration	1,060	$31.31/hr

Other Regional Data for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
La Crosse WI-MN MSA	140	$30.20/hr	N/A
Mankato-North Mankato MN MSA	140	$39.10/hr	N/A
Northeast Balance of State	210	$31.97/hr	N/A
Rochester MN MSA	280	$37.60/hr	N/A
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA	300	$29.95/hr	N/A
St Cloud MN MSA	330	$32.74/hr	N/A
Southeast Balance of State	340	$31.66/hr	N/A
Southwest Balance of State	420	$29.21/hr	N/A
Southeast Minnesota	530	$37.11/hr	8.9%
Southwest Minnesota	540	$30.46/hr	9.3%
Fargo ND-MN MSA	650	$29.56/hr	N/A
Duluth MN-WI MSA	710	$35.94/hr	N/A
Northwest Balance of State	740	$32.04/hr	N/A
Northeast Minnesota	770	$35.94/hr	7.2%
Northwest Minnesota	850	$32.04/hr	10.2%
Central Minnesota	1,110	$35.24/hr	14.6%
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	3,050	$41.84/hr	9.2%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	3,820	$40.37/hr	N/A
Minnesota	7,020	$37.67/hr	9.9%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining	900	$38.22/hr	3.1%
Hoist and Winch Operators	100	$50.99/hr	-12.5%
Crane and Tower Operators	170	$36.60/hr	3.7%
Dredge Operators	N/A	N/A	N/A
Helpers--Extraction Workers	N/A	N/A	N/A
Logging Equipment Operators	240	$22.57/hr	-3.5%
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas	330	$29.79/hr	10.0%
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers	N/A	N/A	N/A
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	7,380	$23.78/hr	5.0%
Continuous Mining Machine Operators	N/A	N/A	N/A

Task for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.
Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability.
Learn and follow safety regulations.
Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
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.
Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.
Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
Perform specialized work, using equipment, such as pile drivers, dredging rigs, drillers, or concrete pumpers.