Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Construction and Extraction Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 47-2073.00
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.13
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 28 hidden tasks28 rated tasks · 2 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (7.1%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 2 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.47-2073.00 | 0.0030100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.O*NET Task ID 9872 | 1.0 |
Compile cost estimates for jobs.O*NET Task ID 9877 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (26)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Learn and follow safety regulations. | Core |
| Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects. | Core |
| Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms. | Core |
| Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes. | Core |
| Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work. | Core |
| Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met. | Core |
| Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers. | Core |
| Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment. | Core |
| Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain. | Core |
| Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members. | Core |
| Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots. | Core |
| Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary. | Core |
| Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors. | Core |
| Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup. | Core |
| Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches. | Core |
| Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines. | Core |
| Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered. | Core |
| Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots. | Core |
| Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability. | Supplemental |
| Test atmosphere for adequate oxygen or explosive conditions when working in confined spaces. | Supplemental |
| Operate compactors, scrapers, or rollers to level, compact, or cover refuse at disposal grounds. | Supplemental |
| Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements. | Supplemental |
| Operate road watering, oiling, or rolling equipment, or street sealing equipment, such as chip spreaders. | Supplemental |
| Push other equipment when extra traction or assistance is required. | Supplemental |
| Drive tractor-trailer trucks to move equipment from site to site. | Supplemental |
| Turn valves to control air or water output of compressors or pumps. | Supplemental |
1.60/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Learn and follow safety regulations. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms. | E3 unstructured settings |
| Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes. | E2 structured facilities |
| Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work. | E2 structured facilities |
| Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers. | E3 unstructured settings |
| Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment. | E2 structured facilities |
| Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain. | E2 structured facilities |
| Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots. | E2 structured facilities |
| Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary. | E0 none |
| Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup. | E2 structured facilities |
| Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots. | E2 structured facilities |
| Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Test atmosphere for adequate oxygen or explosive conditions when working in confined spaces. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate compactors, scrapers, or rollers to level, compact, or cover refuse at disposal grounds. | E2 structured facilities |
| Operate road watering, oiling, or rolling equipment, or street sealing equipment, such as chip spreaders. | E2 structured facilities |
| Push other equipment when extra traction or assistance is required. | E0 none |
| Drive tractor-trailer trucks to move equipment from site to site. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Turn valves to control air or water output of compressors or pumps. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 490K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 512K
- Change (2025–35)
- +4.6%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $59,850
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87403 | 도로정지기 운전원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 87406 | 굴삭기 및 불도저 운전원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 89903 | 케이블 및 배관 부설기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 8342Earthmoving and Related Plant Operators
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Earthmoving and related plant operators operate machines to excavate, grade, level, smooth and compact earth or similar materials.
Tasks
- (a) operating and monitoring excavating machinery equipped with moveable shovel, grab-bucket or dragline bucket, to excavate and move earth, rock, sand, gravel or similar materials;
- (b) operating and monitoring machinery for digging trenches for sewers, drainage, water, oil, gas or similar pipelines;
- (c) operating and monitoring machinery equipped with concave steel blade to move, distribute and level earth, sand, snow and other materials;
- (d) operating and monitoring equipment to remove sand, gravel and mud from bottom of body of water;
- (e) operating and monitoring machines for hammering wooden, concrete or steel piles into ground;
- (f) operating and monitoring power roller to compact and smooth layers of materials in making roads, pavements and similar work;
- (g) operating and monitoring machines which spread and smooth concrete or bituminous or tar preparations to construct roadways, roads or similar surfaces.
Example occupations
Bulldozer operator · Excavator operator · Front-end loader operator · Pile-driver operator · Road-roller operator · Road surface laying machine operator · Snow-groomer operator
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- bulldozer operatorESCO 8342.1This occupation is broader
Bulldozer operators operate a heavy vehicle to move earth, rubble or other material over the ground.
- excavator operatorESCO 8342.3This occupation is broader
Excavator operators use excavators to dig into earth or other materials to remove it. They are involved in a variety of projects, such as demolition, dredging, and the of digging holes, foundations and trenches.
- grader operatorESCO 8342.4This occupation is broader
Grader operators work with a heavy piece of mobile equipment that creates a flat surface by slicing off the top soil with a large blade. Graders usually provide a flat finish on the heavy earthmoving work performed by the scraper and bulldozer operators.
- road construction workerESCO 8342.6This occupation is broader
Road construction workers perform road construction on earthworks, substructure works and the pavement section of the road. They cover the compacted soil with one or more layers. Road construction workers usually lay a stabilising bed of sand or clay first before adding asphalt or concrete slabs in order to finish a road.
- road roller operatorESCO 8342.7This occupation is broader
Road roller operators work with equipment to compact a variety of materials, such as soil, gravel, concrete or asphalt, in the construction of roads and foundations. They walk behind, or sit on top of the road roller, depending on the type and size, and roll over the area to be compacted.
- scraper operatorESCO 8342.8This occupation is broader
Scraper operators work with a mobile piece of heavy equipment that scrapes the top layer of the ground and deposits it in a hopper to be hauled off. They drive the scraper over the surface to be scraped, adapting the speed of the machine to the hardness of the surface.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| F1302 | Conducteur / Conductrice d'engins de chantier | Same scopeprovisional |
| F1303 | Conducteur / Conductrice d'engin de damage | This occupation is broader |
| F1301 | Grutier / Grutière | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 8331 | Operadores de maquinaria de movimientos de tierras y equipos similares | Same scopeprovisional |
| 8332 | Operadores de grúas, montacargas y de maquinaria similar de movimiento de materiales | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 52522 | Führer/innen von Erdbewegungs- und verwandten Maschinen - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 645 | 建設・さく井機械運転従事者 | Same scopeprovisional |
| 643 | クレーン・ウインチ運転従事者 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources