Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Machines can already do 29% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 70%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 29% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 70% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 478,090 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $59,850 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 80% for contact with people.
- Also called: Back Hoe Operator, Engineering Equipment Operator, Equipment Operator (EO), Forklift Operator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes | 13% | 30% to 75% | |
| Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment | 13% | 30% to 75% | |
| Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain | 12% | 30% to 75% | |
| Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary | 7% | 3% to 30% | |
| Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots | 7% | 30% to 75% | |
| Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup | 6% | 30% to 75% | |
| Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members | 5% | 20% to 60% | |
| Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms | 5% | 45% to 85% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills operating engineers and other construction equipment operators use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Boilermakers59% of tasks by 2035 · US median $76,410
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners46% of tasks by 2035 · US median $50,960
- Crane and Tower Operators61% of tasks by 2035 · US median $68,080
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,880
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators?
Machines can do 29% of the tasks of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators today and 70% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 47-2073.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/operating-engineers-and-other-construction-equipment-operators/