Construction industries have the most significant demand for heavy equipment operators. However, public services, municipal authorities, oil and gas companies, timber companies, and mining companies do the same. As a heavy equipment operator, you have many opportunities in the United States as it has a lot of industries hiring equipment operators.
How big can I make in industries hiring equipment operators?
United States News and World Report ranked the heavy equipment operator in the top ten jobs in 2019. They reported a median salary of $ 47,040. Wages are higher in some cities across the country. The highest-paid heavy equipment operators are in New York, with an annual salary of $ 92,560.
Salary.com reports a much higher average base salary of $ 63,405 for those who directly work for an employer. The number of benefits and bonuses was estimated at another $ 30,799, so the total payout was $ 94,204. The most popular cities for heavy equipment operators include Atlanta, GA, Houston, TX, and Tampa, FL.
Is There a Job Shortage?
The combination of increased investment in infrastructure, the retirement of older construction workers, and a declining number of immigrants have led to labor shortages. In addition, the inability to find qualified heavy equipment operators and other construction workers have been delayed by some projects. Therefore, the number of openings decreases.
The number of jobs in the construction industry increased by 14,000 in August. Here are several workers looking for work. Moreover, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), 80% of suppliers say they have difficulty filling their artisans’ holes. (See survey.)
Construction also competes with other industries. For example, electric car manufacturer Tesla offers well-paid jobs at its Gigafactory in Reno, NV.
How did the industries hiring equipment operators deal with job shortages?
Companies use various solutions to attract and retain heavy equipment operators. They increase wages and offer more benefits to help the federal government. Companies want a lot of federal dollars to go into training. They also want the administration to allow more immigrants with construction skills to enter the United States legally. As a result, more and more companies are becoming creative as the number of heavy equipment operators increases.
For example, Wacker Neuson of Wisconsin and the state of Wisconsin offer a curriculum for building materials. Women, veterans, and high school graduates enroll in the two-and-a-half-year program. Participants were given social status after the program. The result is faster than the three to four years it usually takes to become a partner.
State governments are chipping. The Governing Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology has awarded a $ 200,000 grant to the Nevada subsidiary of affiliated general contractors to open a new training facility for heavy equipment operators.
Technology
The technology helps train employees using virtual simulators. John Deere offers a variety of construction simulators to train workers in various heavy equipment. These include excavators, diggers, and motor graders. The software provides a real-world virtual environment that teaches operators basic and advanced tasks. Furthermore, the benefits of using John Deere heavy equipment simulators include:
- Ability to train several operators simultaneously.
- Workers can train on multiple types of equipment.
- Workers can train day or night.
- Weather conditions are irrelevant as training takes place inside a large facility.
- Trainees can practice the same maneuver repeatedly until it is mastered.
- Built-in testing tracks the trainee’s performance.
Source: EquipmentAndContracting