Occupation Profile for Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators
Operate or tend machinery equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets, to excavate and load loose materials.
Signficant Points
- Despite little or no change in employment, job openings should be plentiful because these occupations are very large and numerous openings will be created to replace workers who leave them.
- Most jobs require little work experience or training.
- Pay is low, and the seasonal nature of the work may reduce earnings.
Earnings
Median hourly earnings of material moving workers in May 2006 were relatively low, as indicated by the following tabulation:
| Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators | $21.83 |
| Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers | 19.13 |
| Shuttle car operators | 18.78 |
| Crane and tower operators | 18.77 |
| Loading machine operators, underground mining | 17.91 |
| Wellhead pumpers | 17.38 |
| Dredge operators | 16.26 |
| Hoist and winch operators | 16.16 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators | 15.83 |
| Tank car, truck, and ship loaders | 15.37 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors | 13.93 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators | 13.11 |
| Conveyor operators and tenders | 13.09 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers | 10.88 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | 10.20 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment | 8.68 |
| Packers and packagers, hand | 8.48 |
| Material moving workers, all other | 14.55 |
Wages vary according to experience and job responsibilities. Wages usually are higher in metropolitan areas. Seasonal peaks and lulls in workload can affect the number of hours scheduled which affects earnings. Some crane operators, such as those unloading containers from ships at major ports earn substantially more then their counterparts in other industries or establishments. Certified crane operators tend to have a slightly higher hourly rate than those who are not certified.
Job Outlook
Job openings should be numerous because these occupations are very large and turnover is relatively high, even though little or no change in employment is expected because of automation.
Employment change. Employment in material moving occupations is projected to decline by 1 percent between 2006 and 2016, which is considered little or no change in employment. Improvements in equipment, such as automated storage and retrieval systems and conveyors, will continue to raise productivity and moderate the demand for material movers.
Job growth for material movers depends on the growth or decline of employing industries and the type of equipment the workers operate or the materials they handle. Employment will grow in the warehousing and storage industry as more firms contract out their warehousing functions to this industry. For example, a frozen food manufacturer may reduce its costs by outsourcing these functions to a refrigerated warehousing firm, which can more efficiently deal with the specialized storage needs of frozen food. Jobs in mining are expected to decline due to continued productivity increases within that industry. Opportunities for material movers will also decline in manufacturing due to productivity improvements and outsourcing of warehousing and other activities that depend on material movers. Job growth generally will be slower in large establishments, which can afford to invest in automated systems for their material moving needs.
Construction is very sensitive to changes in economic conditions, so the number of job openings in this industry will fluctuate. Although increasing automation will eliminate some routine tasks, new jobs will be created by the need to operate and maintain new equipment. Additionally, firms are more likely initially to use workers when expanding their businesses as opposed to using automated systems due to the large fixed costs associated with such systems.
Job prospects. Despite the little or no employment growth expected, job openings should be plentiful due to the fact that these occupations are very large and there will be a relatively high number of openings created by the need replace workers who transfer to other occupations or who retire or leave the labor force for other reasons—characteristic of occupations requiring little prior or formal training.
Employment
Material movers held 4.8 million jobs in 2006. They were distributed among the detailed occupations as follows:
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | 2,416,000 |
| Packers and packagers, hand | 834,000 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators | 637,000 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment | 368,000 |
| Machine feeders and offbearers | 148,000 |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors | 136,000 |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators | 80,000 |
| Conveyor operators and tenders | 50,000 |
| Crane and tower operators | 46,000 |
| Tank car, truck, and ship loaders | 16,000 |
| Wellhead pumpers | 14,000 |
| Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers | 11,000 |
| Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators | 4,200 |
| Loading machine operators, underground mining | 3,100 |
| Hoist and winch operators | 3,000 |
| Shuttle car operators | 2,900 |
| Dredge operators | 2,100 |
| Material moving workers, all other | 54,000 |
About 29 percent of all material movers worked in the wholesale trade or retail trade industries. Another 21 percent worked in manufacturing; 16 percent in transportation and warehousing; 4 percent in construction and mining; and 14 percent in the employment services industry, on a temporary or contract basis. For example, companies that need workers for only a few days, to move materials or to clean up a site, may contract with temporary help agencies specializing in providing suitable workers on a short-term basis. A small proportion of material movers were self-employed.
Material movers work in every part of the country. Some work in remote locations on large construction projects such as highways and dams, while others work in factories, warehouses, or mining operations.