Heavy equipment operators

Overview

Heavy equipment operators operate heavy equipment used in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, airports, gas and oil pipelines, tunnels, buildings and other structures; in surface mining and quarrying activities; and in material handling work. They are employed by construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments and pipeline, logging, cargo-handling and other companies. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Also known as:

aerial tram operator
apprentice heavy equipment operator
asphalt batch plant operator
asphalt plant operator
asphalt roller operator

Median salary

The median salary for this job across Ontario is $66,600

Average hourly wage

Low $23.63

Medium $32.00

High $47.70

Low
The low wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 10th percentile. For example, if the low wage is $12.00/hour, this means that 10% of the workers in the occupation earn $12.00/hour or less.

Medium
The median wage is the indicator of the prevailing wage for each occupation. The median wage is the middle point of the wage distribution, when wages are arranged in numerical order.

High
The high wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 90th percentile. For example, if the high wage is $40.00/hour, this means that 90% of the workers in the occupation earn $40.00/hour or less.

Education and training pathways

To be qualified for this job, completion of an apprenticeship, or a combination of work experience and industry courses, is usually required.

Secondary school or equivalency

An Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalency is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. If you haven’t completed the required credits, you can earn them through Adult learning programs.

College or university programs

If you’re interested in the trades, a college program is a great place to start working toward your career. Some trades-related college certificate and diploma programs provide graduates who become apprentices with the opportunity to receive automatic exemption from in-class training requirements.

Educational pathways are provided for informational purposes only. Links are included for programs at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions. They may not be inclusive of all relevant programs available in Ontario.

View college programs

Apprenticeships and experience

Completion of a one- to two-year apprenticeship program or some high school, college or industry courses in heavy equipment operating combined with on-the-job training are required.

View apprenticeships

Other education or certifications

Required registration and certification

Trade certification for heavy equipment operator (dozer, excavator, tractor-loader-backhoe) is voluntary in Ontario. Internal company certification may be required by some employers.

Red seal endorsement

Consider earning a Red Seal endorsement for your trade certificate by successfully completing the interprovincial Red Seal examination. This endorsement indicates to employers that you have demonstrated the knowledge required to meet national trade standard and allows you to work in your trade in other provinces and territories without more tests and paperwork.

Micro-credentials

Consider obtaining micro-credentials to gain skills and knowledge relevant to your career. Micro-credentials are rapid training programs that can help you get the skills that employers need.

View micro-credentials

Relevant organizations

Career data by region

See median salary and historical job postings of this career profile based on Economic Region.

Totals for economic regions may be less than total online job postings for the province due to exclusion of postings without reliable information.

Economic Region	Median salary ($)	Historical job postings
Ottawa	64,500	125
Kingston-Pembroke	67,000	39
Muskoka-Kawarthas	69,700	37
Toronto	72,800	307
Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie	62,400	131
Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula	72,800	146
London	62,400	42
Windsor-Sarnia	77,000	25
Stratford-Bruce Peninsula	67,000	29
Northeast	60,000	210
Northwest	60,000	70

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About the data

Information on this page is sourced from the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which is Canada’s national system for describing occupations.

NOC Code: NOC 73400

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Ontario’s labour market information website is developed for use as a resource to help people explore career options. The job outlooks for each occupation use projections of future job openings and should be interpreted with caution. Shifts in the rate of economic growth, technological developments, business restructuring, or changes in government policies can all affect the future growth prospects or skill requirements of the labour market.

Job outlooks have been developed for Ontario as a whole, and may not reflect the situation in each local labour market. The number and type of employers, the occupational make-up of the workforce, and other local economic conditions all contribute to the employment prospects for an occupation in a given community.

The accuracy of the information presented for in-demand skills and knowledge and other sections based on job posting data depends, in part, on whether jobs are categorized into the correct occupational groups. In some cases, job postings may be incorrectly attributed to an occupational grouping and the data should be interpreted with caution

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