OPERATING ENGINEERS California Occupational Guide Number 147 Interest Area 5-B 1995
TRENDS
OPERATING ENGINEERS are often identified by the various types of power-driven equipment that they operate. The range of skills required of Operating Engineers is usually broader than that required of workers in other building trades because of the numbers and types of equipment they must be qualified to use. Although many Operating Engineers are employed in the Construction industry, others work for State and local government mainly in maintenance and repair work. As construction activity increases, jobs for Operating Engineers tend to increase. In fact, the construction and manufacturing industries, where most of these workers are employed, continue to be sensitive to changes in economic conditions. Also, the amount of spending on the State's infrastructure will continue to influence the availability of jobs with contractors. Because of the above factors, job openings can fluctuate widely from year to year. Overall, equipment improvements and growing automation are expected to restrain growth in this occupation during the next few years.
THE JOB
Operating Engineers work with the equipment used in heavy construction. These men and women operate bulldozers, graders, scrapers, loaders, cranes, trenching machines, and many other types of equipment. Most Operating Engineers work for contractors on highway, dam, pipeline, and other heavy- construction projects. Many, however, work for other types of companies or for public agencies like utility companies or highway departments that do their own maintenance or construction work. There are also jobs for Operating Engineers in places like factories and mines, operating cranes and hoists, and in the woods dragging logs and building haul roads.
The difficulty of the Operating Engineer's work depends largely on the complexity of the machine being used and the demands of the job. Operating a large crane, particularly in handling a heavy load or lifting materials of all sizes to great heights, requires a high degree of skill, while operating an air compressor requires less skill. Most workers specialize in operating the equipment; however, many others work as heavy-equipment mechanics who specialize in maintenance and repair.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Most Operating Engineers work outdoors. They may work in different types of sites : underground in a mine, inside of a tunnel in a city hillside, on a dredge in a river, perched in a crane atop of a skyscraper, or in the air as part of the helicopter crew on a construction project. Some jobs are in remote areas in forests, mountains, deserts, and along the coastline.
The work of Operating Engineers is physically demanding and conditions on the job are often difficult because of extreme weather conditions and variations in terrain.
Operators must coordinate the action of their machines with other activities, making minute by minute judgments to do their work safely and efficiently. The work is usually noisy and hazardous; operators must always be alert for other workers and to the danger of equipment overturning or coming into contact with power lines, of equipment cables snapping, of excavations collapsing, and of injuries from falling objects and moving equipment.
Most jobs for Operating Engineers are seasonal with peak activity taking place during the summer months. Interruption of the work due to unfavorable weather is possible at almost any time of the year. In some types of work such as dam, pipeline, and highway construction, workers move from place to place as work is completed on one project and started on another. Some jobs are located at great distance from the worker's home.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The following information is from the California Projections of Employment published by the Labor Market Information Division.
Estimated number of workers in 1990 13,250 Estimated number of workers in 2005 15,660 Projected Growth Percentage 1990-2005 18% Estimated openings due to separations by 2005 3,450
(These figures do not include self-employment nor openings due to turnover.)
A projected increase of over 2,400 new jobs combined with the estimated 3,450 workers leaving the labor force will result in nearly 6,000 net job openings in California by the year 2005 for Operating Engineers.
WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS
Most of the Operating Engineers in California belong to the International Union of Operating Engineers. Wages paid to union workers vary with the type of equipment operated and the area in which the work is located. Generally, higher wages are paid to workers operating or repairing the larger or more complex machines.
In the fall of 1994, union hourly wages, including benefits, in Northern California ranged from $26.73 to $42.99 and hour. In Southern California the union wages ranged from $29.62 to $38.00 and hour. Heavy equipment operators working for the State of California earn from $2,300 to $2,700 per month.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING
Apprenticeship involves on-the-job training in the form of paid employment, together with supplemental related training at a designated training center. In general, apprenticeship program applicants must be age 18 or older and may be required to submit evidence of good physical condition and completion of high school education or equivalent. Applicants meeting minimum qualifications are given a written test that measures basic reading and math abilities and mechanical understanding. Scores on the test determine which applicants will be selected for admission to the program from each county; applicants compete only with other individuals residing in the same county.
The apprentice selects one of several branches of work for specialization. The four most popular categories are construction equipment operation, dredges, plant equipment operation, and heavy-duty repair. In the first three categories, the apprentices learn to operate and maintain a variety of equipment and make routine repairs. In the fourth category, the emphasis is on repair. Persons seeking an apprenticeship should contact the nearest district office of the Operating Engineers Union to determine when applications will be accepted.
A number of private schools offer instruction in the operation of construction equipment. Persons considering such training should contact employers in the area to determine the schools' performance. Training in the operation of construction equipment may also be available through the Navy Civil Engineering Corps and the Army Corps of Engineers. Persons wanting to enter the trade without formal training frequently find employment as a laborer, truck driver or in some other capacity where they have the opportunity to work with the equipment. They may do simple tasks such as cleaning, greasing, and starting equipment. Then, with the guidance of an experienced operator, they learn to repair and operate light equipment. Later they may learn to operate medium-sized and heavy equipment. Operating engineers need to be alert and have a good sense of balance and good eye-hand-foot coordination. Good eyesight and depth perception and physical strength and stamina are also necessary. Helpful high school courses include auto shop, machine shop, physics, and mathematics.
ADVANCEMENT
Operating engineers may increase their hourly pay by learning to operate machines requiring higher skill. Persons with above-average ability may be promoted to foreman, superintendent, or project manager. Some workers become owner-operators, furnishing both machine and operator at a specified rental rate.
FINDING THE JOB
Operating engineers who are union members find work by dispatch from out-of-work lists at union offices. The date of registration for work and competence in operating the equipment specified in the employer's job order determine the order of dispatch. Other workers find jobs by word-of-mouth leads, newspaper advertisements, contacting employers directly, and by referral from Employment Development Department Job Service offices.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
International Union of Operating Engineers 1125 17th St. N.W. Washington, DC 20036 (202) 429-9100
Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Northern California) 7388 Murieta Drive Rancho Murieta, CA 95683 (916) 351-1923
Associated General Contractors of America 1957 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 (202) 393-2040
RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES
Bus & Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists No. 251 Truck Drivers, Heavy No. 255
OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES
DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles,4th ed., Rev. 1) Operating Engineers (const.) 859.683-010
OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System Operating Engineers 979560
Source: State of California, Employment Development Department,
Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
(916) 262-2162.
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