Highest-paying trade careers

• Electrician.
• Landscape designer.
• Boilermaker.
• Respiratory therapist.
• Construction manager.
• Dental hygienist. National average salary: $38.10 per hour.
• Ultrasonographer. National average salary: $38.49 per hour.
• Radiation therapist. National average salary: $115,241 per year.

Is heavy equipment operator fun?

Most of the time, being a construction equipment operator is fun; the people in the construction business are interesting and good to work with. And the thrill of operating construction equipment has never worn off.

Is being a heavy equipment operator hard on your body?

A career heavy equipment operator often suffers injuries over time that result in the inability to work before retirement. Long term exposure to the fumes, exhaust, and dust from the equipment also causes respiratory and lung damage that makes breathing hard.

How much do tall crane operators make?

The highest salary for a Tower Crane Operator in United States is $123,615 per year. The lowest salary for a Tower Crane Operator in United States is $31,634 per year.

What kind of jobs do heavy equipment operators have?

Civil engineering projects provided roughly 29 percent of all heavy equipment jobs. Another 28 percent of jobs were in specialty construction, and building construction provided only five percent. Heavy equipment operators have pay increases with experience during the first 10 years of employment, then it levels off.

How much does a construction equipment operator make?

Construction equipment operators earned a median annual salary of $45,120 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, construction equipment operators earned a 25th percentile salary of $35,280, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $60,420, meaning 25 percent earn more.

When do heavy equipment operators get pay increases?

Heavy equipment operators have pay increases with experience during the first 10 years of employment, then it levels off. Generally, highly experienced operators become eligible for supervisory and management positions that can lead to pay increases. One salary projection shows this progression:

How much does a crane operator make a year?

Several states require special licenses to operate specific equipment such as loaders and backhoes. Pile driver operators need a crane operator’s license in several states and some cities. The 2018 median heavy equipment operator salary is $62,667.