OSCA 741234

Excavator Operator

Overview

  • Employed persons

    14,200

  • Employment status

    86.3% Full time

    13.7% Part time

  • Median age

    43 years

  • Employment by sex

    1.3% Female

    98.7% Male

    Almost completely male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    3.5%

  • Main employing industry

    Construction

Indicator Excavator Operator Total employment
Employed persons 14,200 12,049,400
Median age 43 years 40 years
Full-time share 86.3% 64.2%
Part-time share 13.7% 35.8%
Female employment share 1.3% 48.5%
Male employment share 98.7% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 3.5% 2.2%
Main employing industry Construction Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Excavator Operators operate heavy excavation plant to excavate, move and load earth, rock and rubble.

What the occupation involves

  • Positions, operates, controls, monitors and adjusts heavy excavation plant to excavate, move and load earth, rock and rubble in a safe and efficient manner
  • Loads and unloads excavation plant with materials
  • Performs pre-start checks and routine maintenance on excavation plant
  • May perform manual excavation and shovelling as required

Common occupation titles

  • Digger Operator

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 4
equivalent to a lower‑level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate II or III).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing may be required.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Excavator Operator Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Construction 78.4% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Mining 6.4% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services 2.4% Construction 8.9%
    Public Administration and Safety 2.1% Education and Training 8.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 1.4% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services 1.2% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 1.1% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Manufacturing 0.8% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 0.8% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Wholesale Trade 0.7% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      30.6%

    • Victoria

      28.1%

    • Queensland

      21.7%

    • South Australia

      5.6%

    • Tasmania

      4.1%

    • Northern Territory

      0.6%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.1%

    Excavator Operator Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 4,400 30.6% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 4,000 28.1% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 3,100 21.7% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 800 5.6% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 1,100 8.1% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 590 4.1% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 80 0.6% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 160 1.1% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Excavator Operator

    Total employment

    Age group Excavator Operator Total employment
    15–24 years 6.9% 14.3%
    25–34 years 22.4% 22.7%
    35–44 years 24.7% 22.3%
    45–54 years 24.2% 20.4%
    55–64 years 17.4% 15.3%
    65–74 years 4.1% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.3% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Excavator Operator Total employment
    Female 1.3% 48.5%
    Male 98.7% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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