Heavy Equipment Operators (except Crane)

(NOC 7521)

in All Trades and Transportation

Heavy equipment operators use a variety of mobile machines and attachments. They excavate, grade, and landscape earth. They also move materials and equipment. They work for construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments and pipelines, logging, cargo handling, and other companies.

Job Outlook

Good

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  • Estimate Strong growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 330 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Trades and Transportation

  • Estimate 4040 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 8425 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Size of the occupation in Nova Scotia: large, with regular job opportunities.
Demand: Approximately 130 opportunities are estimated for Halifax, and 255 outside Halifax. Employment growth will lead to several new positions. Some positions will become available due to employee turnover. There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation. Employment can be seasonal with more opportunities in the summer months. A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
Work hours: full-time, usually. Both permanent and temporary positions are common.

Hourly Pay

$18.00

Minimum

$22.50

Median

$28.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$12,360

Minimum

$44,588

Median

$86,172

Maximum

Compared to: All Trades and Transportation

Hourly Pay

$15.00

Minimum

$24.00

Median

$37.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$7,580

Minimum

$37,269

Median

$79,787

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Heavy equipment operators use a variety of mobile machines and attachments. They excavate, grade, and landscape earth. They also move materials and equipment. They work for construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments and pipelines, logging, cargo handling, and other companies.

Job duties

Heavy equipment operators:

  • Use heavy equipment like backhoes, bulldozers, loaders, and graders to excavate, move, load and grade earth, rock, gravel or other materials during construction and related activities.
  • Use bulldozers or other heavy equipment to clear brush and stumps prior to logging activities and to build roads at logging and surface mining sites.
  • Use heavy equipment with pile driver head to drive piling into earth to provide support for buildings, bridges, or other structures.
  • Use heavy dredging equipment to deepen waterways or reclaim earth fill.
  • Use heavy paving and surfacing equipment to lay, spread or compact concrete, asphalt and other surface materials during highway and road construction.
  • Use power shovels to excavate rock, ore or other materials from open-pit mines, strip mines, quarries, or construction pits.
  • Use heavy equipment to move, load and unload cargo.
  • Complete pre-operational checks on equipment and clean, lubricate and refill equipment.

Sample job titles

  • asphalt-paving machine operator
  • backhoe operator
  • construction equipment operator
  • dozer operator
  • excavator operator
  • heavy equipment operator
  • heavy-duty equipment operator
  • road grader operator

Skills

  • Good eye, hand, and foot coordination
  • Good vision and spatial awareness
  • Fast reflexes
  • Mechanical ability
  • Alertness and safety consciousness
  • Strength and stamina
  • An ability to work well in a team or on their own
  • Ability to troubleshoot problems
  • You must also be able to take direction and carry out instructions given by supervisors.

Job requirements

  • High school or equivalent (usually).
  • Some high school, college, or industry courses in heavy equipment operating combined with on-the-job training are required.
  • Internal company certification may be required by some employers.
  • Trade Qualifier option, 8,100 hours, and other criteria.
  • Certification for heavy equipment operators is voluntary in Nova Scotia.
  • Write and score a minimum of 70% on the Red Seal exam for heavy equipment operators.
  • Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) allows for interprovincial mobility.

Other considerations

  • Dozer operators use dozers to move, spread and strip earth, rock, gravel, or other materials during construction.
  • Excavator operators use excavators to excavate, move, lift, strip, stockpile, and place earth, rock, gravel, or other materials. Excavators are also used to create slopes, clear land, logging, and surface mining sites, and carry out demolitions.
  • Tractor-loader-backhoe operators (TLB) use tractor-loader-backhoes to move and load earth, rock, gravel, or other materials during construction.
  • Heavy equipment operators work outdoors in almost any kind of weather. The cabs of their machines may be air-conditioned, and dust controlled. For most, work is seasonal. They may need to work a lot of overtime during peak times. In slower months they can expect layoffs.
  • The work location is often noisy. It is dusty and dirty. Sometimes equipment operators work in dangerous areas. They may have to work in confined spaces.
  • Heavy equipment operators sit in vehicles for extended periods of time. The equipment vibrates and bounces. It is important to follow signals from the ground crew.
  • Experienced operators may move into related positions like safety officer or trainer. They may also advance to supervisory positions.

By the numbers

Quick look

3,205

employed in 2016

92.0%

employed full-time

6.9%

self employed

2.2%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
97.8%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
47.2

median age

Compared to: All Trades and Transportation

57,925

employed in 2016

85.9%

employed full-time

11.8%

self employed

5.3%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
94.7%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
46.8

median age

Where will I likely work?

22.8%

North Shore

$44,009 median annual income
22.8%

Cape Breton

$53,412 median annual income
19.4%

Annapolis Valley

$40,699 median annual income
18.8%

Halifax

$46,858 median annual income
16.3%

Southern

$35,426 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

59.2%

Construction

10.3%

Public administration

6.9%

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

5.6%

Manufacturing

4.7%

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

What is the age of Employment?

26.0%

45-54

20.0%

55-64

19.0%

35-44

17.0%

25-34

9.0%

65+

8.0%

15-24

Compared to: All Trades and Transportation

24.4%

45-54

22.1%

55-64

17.7%

35-44

17.7%

25-34

10.9%

15-24

Top levels of education

29.5%

High school

$47,739 median annual income
28.8%

Less than high school

$39,682 median annual income
24.4%

Trade Certification

$47,244 median annual income
16.1%

College Diploma

$46,187 median annual income
0.9%

Diploma Below Bachelor

$47,920 median annual income

Compared to: All Trades and Transportation

29.2%

Trade Certification

$46,494 median annual income
25.5%

High school

$31,260 median annual income
22.3%

College Diploma

$42,050 median annual income
18.7%

Less than high school

$28,319 median annual income
2.8%

Bachelor

$30,527 median annual income

Education & training

Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation - Pre-apprenticeship College Program

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students to apply technical knowledge and skills to operate and maintain a variety of heavy equipment like crawler tractors, motor graders and scrapers, shovels, rigging devices, hoists, and jacks. They include courses in digging, ditching, sloping, stripping, grading, and backfilling, clearing and excavating.

Institutions providing this program

Maritime Environmental Training Institute

Sydney, NS

Commercial Safety College

Truro, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Halifax, NS

Operating Engineers Training Institute of Nova Scotia

Falmouth, NS

Dexter Institute

Bedford, NS

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School Program

Adults without a high school diploma can contact the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) for tuition-free programming across the province. NSSAL oversees adult education programs in Nova Scotia. NSSAL partners with the Nova Scotia Community College, Adult High Schools, Université Sainte-Anne, and community-based learning organizations to deliver programs. NSSAL offers clear, accessible pathways from adult basic education to a high school credential or GED.

Institutions providing this program

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Adult High Schools

Various, NS

Community Learning Organizations

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

Regulations

Heavy Equipment Operators

Certificate of Qualification (Voluntary): This is a designated trade in Nova Scotia. Employers may require certification, but a certificate is not needed to legally work in this trade.

Regulating body:
Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency
Halifax, NS

Contacts

BuildForce Canada
Ottawa, ON
Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council
Halifax, NS

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.