Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
In short: today's best AI models could do about 3% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 97% of the time, stays with people.
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
478,090 people do this job in the US. $59,850 a year.
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on0 h
- A person checks AI's work1 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people39 h
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 0 hours, 1 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 39 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Keep records of usage and problems (under an hour); Talk to clients and study plans (under an hour, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 2%
- 1%
- 0%
- 3%
- 94%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 3% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 3%. Today's estimate: 3%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, no reportable share went to this job's tasks in May 2026; 0 of its 26 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.003% to none (released February and March 2025).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.003% | 657 of 708 | 1 of 26 |
| Released March 2025 | none | n/a | 0 of 26 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | none | n/a | 0 of 26 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 26 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 26 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 26 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 26 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 92% of this job's working time as physical work. For 84% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 15% in a purpose-built cell, 60% in a structured facility, 8% in any setting. 1.60 of 3, the 14th highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 8%
- No robot shown 8%
- In a purpose-built cell 15%
- In a structured facility 60%
- In any setting 8%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
96% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Grade and level ground with bladed equipment, the hands-on work, 20%
- Clear land and build roadways, the hands-on work, 20%
- Load and move earth and materials, the hands-on work, 18%
- Learn and follow safety regulations, the hands-on work, 6%
- Operate loaders for clearing and cleanup, the hands-on work, 5%
- Start and operate heavy machines, the hands-on work, 4%
What becomes checking the machine
2% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 1% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Talk to clients and study plans, costly if wrong, 1%
- Locate underground pipes and wires, severe if wrong, 0.6%
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 94% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check or sign: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 26 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.Driving a grader or dozer in passes.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Cat MineStar Command for dozing / Semi-Autonomous Tractor System (SATS) (Caterpillar with Thiess and Hastings Deering) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 20% | 1.7 h25 min to 6.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.Operating tractors and bulldozers.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Built Robotics autonomy system (excavator, bulldozer, compact track loader) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 20% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.Operating trucks, cranes and loaders.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Bedrock Operator (autonomous excavator retrofit) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 18% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Learn and follow safety regulations.Working safely at the controls, with rules only the operator can learn.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Cat MineStar Command for hauling (Caterpillar) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 25 min13 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 80%, in person 20% | Stays with people |
| Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.Operating a loader.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Kajima A4CSEL for Earthworks (automated bulldozers, vibrating rollers) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.Working the controls of bulldozers, graders and backhoes.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Built Robotics Exosystem (autonomous excavator retrofit) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.Hands-on repair.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 1.3 h25 min to 5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.Watching the work on site.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.Moving loads in response to signals.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, FlexRobotics hands-free rig floor (Helmerich & Payne with NOV / Yaskawa) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.Operating heavy equipment.Done more than yearly by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Yeti (Øveraasen/Semcon) autonomous snowplows (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 2% | 1.7 h25 min to 6.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.A conversation on site, and the plans read.Done daily by most who do it. | 2% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Documents 50%, in person 50% | 50%Desk part half by now |
| Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.Working the controls of the attachments.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in any setting, Bedrock Operator (autonomous excavator retrofit) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 2% | 17 min8 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining10% now, 10% by 2028
- Hoist and Winch Operators0% now, 0% by 2028
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines6% now, 6% by 2028
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators0% now, 0% by 2028
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators1% now, 1% by 2028
- Crane and Tower Operators8% now, 8% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 3% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 3% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Keep records of usage and problems (100% of the task's time now); Talk to clients and study plans (50% of the task's time now); and Locate underground pipes and wires (40% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Grade and level ground with bladed equipment; Clear land and build roadways; and Load and move earth and materials. Together such tasks are about 95% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the hands-on craft; judgment where errors are severe; and reviewing work you did not do yourself. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 96% of the working time stays with people, 2% becomes checking a model's work and 1% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026, no reportable share went to this job's tasks. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 0%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 92% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 84% of the working time, 8% in any setting. Its index is 1.60 of 3. One example: Bedrock Operator (autonomous excavator retrofit) for "control blades, buckets and booms". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 26 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
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