Construction & Extraction
Construction Equipment Operators
SOC 47-2073
Run the excavators, dozers, and cranes that move earth and material.
The job
Median pay
$60k
$49k to $77k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+4.6% projected
Openings a year
39k
BLS projection
Typical education
High school
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
4/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
12th pct
More exposed than 12% of occupations · modeled estimate · 33rd pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
54/100
Key skills
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 55,540 | 3.9 | 1.3× | $50k |
| California | 36,020 | 2.0 | 0.6× | $87k |
| Florida | 27,510 | 2.8 | 0.9× | $49k |
| Pennsylvania | 22,120 | 3.6 | 1.2× | $61k |
| Ohio | 16,920 | 3.0 | 1.0× | $65k |
| North Carolina | 16,580 | 3.4 | 1.1× | $49k |
| Georgia | 15,700 | 3.2 | 1.0× | $48k |
| New York | 14,490 | 1.5 | 0.5× | $81k |
| Arizona | 13,200 | 4.1 | 1.3× | $61k |
| Illinois | 12,290 | 2.0 | 0.7× | $98k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 12,100 | 2.9 | 1.0× | $57k |
| Colorado | 11,700 | 4.1 | 1.3× | $63k |
| Indiana | 11,520 | 3.6 | 1.2× | $80k |
| Tennessee | 10,660 | 3.3 | 1.1× | $52k |
| Missouri | 10,470 | 3.6 | 1.2× | $61k |
| Washington | 10,290 | 2.9 | 0.9× | $82k |
| Massachusetts | 9,680 | 2.7 | 0.9× | $77k |
| Alabama | 9,640 | 4.6 | 1.5× | $48k |
| Michigan | 9,500 | 2.2 | 0.7× | $63k |
| Minnesota | 8,590 | 2.9 | 0.9× | $79k |
| South Carolina | 8,160 | 3.5 | 1.1× | $49k |
| Wisconsin | 8,140 | 2.8 | 0.9× | $75k |
| Utah | 7,880 | 4.5 | 1.5× | $61k |
| Louisiana | 7,860 | 4.1 | 1.3× | $52k |
| West Virginia | 7,830 | 11.2 | 3.6× | $51k |
| Kansas | 7,070 | 4.9 | 1.6× | $52k |
| Kentucky | 7,050 | 3.5 | 1.1× | $58k |
| Oklahoma | 7,050 | 4.1 | 1.3× | $48k |
| Maryland | 6,610 | 2.4 | 0.8× | $61k |
| New Jersey | 5,980 | 1.4 | 0.5× | $90k |
| Arkansas | 5,800 | 4.4 | 1.4× | $45k |
| Oregon | 5,630 | 2.9 | 0.9× | $73k |
| Iowa | 5,530 | 3.5 | 1.1× | $60k |
| New Mexico | 5,520 | 6.3 | 2.1× | $52k |
| Nevada | 5,410 | 3.5 | 1.1× | $71k |
| North Dakota | 4,890 | 11.4 | 3.7× | $62k |
| Idaho | 4,270 | 5.0 | 1.6× | $62k |
| Mississippi | 4,170 | 3.6 | 1.2× | $47k |
| Wyoming | 3,800 | 13.5 | 4.4× | $63k |
| Montana | 3,750 | 7.3 | 2.4× | $62k |
| Nebraska | 3,180 | 3.1 | 1.0× | $58k |
| Alaska | 3,050 | 9.4 | 3.0× | $78k |
| Connecticut | 2,860 | 1.7 | 0.6× | $79k |
| Hawaii | 2,380 | 3.8 | 1.2× | $116k |
| Maine | 2,210 | 3.4 | 1.1× | $56k |
| South Dakota | 2,050 | 4.5 | 1.5× | $60k |
| New Hampshire | 1,330 | 1.9 | 0.6× | $62k |
| Vermont | 1,280 | 4.2 | 1.4× | $59k |
| Delaware | 1,230 | 2.5 | 0.8× | $58k |
| Rhode Island | 970 | 1.9 | 0.6× | $64k |
| Washington DC | 620 | 0.9 | 0.3× | $75k |
Top metro areas
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX14,000 jobs · $51k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX11,510 jobs · $51k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ11,430 jobs · $95k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA8,780 jobs · $93k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA8,360 jobs · $49k median
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ7,980 jobs · $63k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN7,930 jobs · $103k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV6,450 jobs · $62k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Construction Equipment Operators interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.