Overview
All Earthmoving Plant Operators
-
$1,491 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
Earthmoving Plant Operators (General)
-
4,100 workers Employment Size
-
Lower skill Skill level rating
-
91% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
49 hours Average full-time
-
48 years Average age
-
3% female Gender Share
Earthmoving Plant Operators (General) operate a range of earthmoving plants to assist with building roads, rail, water supplies, dams, treatment plants and agricultural earthworks.
Also known as: Construction Plant Operator.
You can work as an Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in civil construction plant operations may be useful.
Tasks
- Selects, fits and removes attachments such as buckets, winches, loading scoops, shovel blades and rock breaking hammers.
- Operates controls to excavate, break, drill, level, compact, gouge out, move, load and spread earth, rock, rubble, soil and other materials.
- Monitors operation of plant and adjusts controls to regulate pressure, speed and flow of operation, and ensure safety of other workers.
- Raise, lower and manipulate attachments using manual and hydraulic controls.
- Service, lubricate, clean and refuel plant and perform minor adjustments and repairs.
Prospects
The number of Earthmoving Plant Operators (General) fell over 5 years:
from 7,000 in 2011 to 4,100 in 2016.
Caution: These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with caution.
- Size: This is a very small occupation.
- Location: Earthmoving Plant Operators (General) work in many parts of Australia. Queensland has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Construction; Public Administration and Safety; and Transport, Postal and Warehousing.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (91%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 49 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 48 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (60%).
- Gender: 3% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You can work as an Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in civil construction plant operations may be useful.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Earthmoving Plant Operators who are reliable and hardworking.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Depth perception
Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Response orientation
Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2073.00 - Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
In an open vehicle or equipment
Work in an open vehicle (e.g., a tractor).
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
In an enclosed vehicle or equipment
Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Whole body vibration
Be exposed to whole body vibration (e.g., operate a jackhammer).
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Pace of work set by equipment
Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2073.00 - Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
All Earthmoving Plant Operators
-
$1,491 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
Earthmoving Plant Operators (General)
-
4,100 workers Employment Size
-
Lower skill Skill level rating
-
91% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
49 hours Average full-time
-
48 years Average age
-
3% female Gender Share
Earthmoving Plant Operators (General) operate a range of earthmoving plants to assist with building roads, rail, water supplies, dams, treatment plants and agricultural earthworks.
Also known as: Construction Plant Operator.
You can work as an Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in civil construction plant operations may be useful.
Tasks
- Selects, fits and removes attachments such as buckets, winches, loading scoops, shovel blades and rock breaking hammers.
- Operates controls to excavate, break, drill, level, compact, gouge out, move, load and spread earth, rock, rubble, soil and other materials.
- Monitors operation of plant and adjusts controls to regulate pressure, speed and flow of operation, and ensure safety of other workers.
- Raise, lower and manipulate attachments using manual and hydraulic controls.
- Service, lubricate, clean and refuel plant and perform minor adjustments and repairs.
The number of Earthmoving Plant Operators (General) fell over 5 years:
from 7,000 in 2011 to 4,100 in 2016.
Caution: These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with caution.
- Size: This is a very small occupation.
- Location: Earthmoving Plant Operators (General) work in many parts of Australia. Queensland has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Construction; Public Administration and Safety; and Transport, Postal and Warehousing.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (91%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 49 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 48 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (60%).
- Gender: 3% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You can work as an Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in civil construction plant operations may be useful.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.
Employers look for Earthmoving Plant Operators who are reliable and hardworking.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Depth perception
Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Response orientation
Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2073.00 - Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
In an open vehicle or equipment
Work in an open vehicle (e.g., a tractor).
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
In an enclosed vehicle or equipment
Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Whole body vibration
Be exposed to whole body vibration (e.g., operate a jackhammer).
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Pace of work set by equipment
Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2073.00 - Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.