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Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Runs bulldozers, excavators, cranes and other construction machines.
Read the full guide
Heavy equipment operators dig, grade, lift and move material on road, building and utility projects. They also maintain their machines. The work is outdoors and seasonal in some areas.
Open the heavy equipment operator guide
The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.
High school courses that build toward it
- Woodworking · Career and Technical
Builds building and construction, which this job uses.
- Geometry · Math
Builds math, which this job uses.
- English 10 · English
Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.
- Physical Education · Health and PE
Builds teaching and training, which this job uses.
- Physics · Science
Builds math, which this job uses.
Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.