OSCA 741236

Loader Operator

Overview

  • Employed persons

    6,000

  • Employment status

    85.9% Full time

    14.1% Part time

  • Median age

    48 years

  • Employment by sex

    4.3% Female

    95.8% Male

    Almost completely male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    4.5%

  • Main employing industry

    Construction

Indicator Loader Operator Total employment
Employed persons 6,000 12,049,400
Median age 48 years 40 years
Full-time share 85.9% 64.2%
Part-time share 14.1% 35.8%
Female employment share 4.3% 48.5%
Male employment share 95.8% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 4.5% 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

Loader Operators operate a motorised loader to move and load soil, rock and other material.

What the occupation involves

  • Moves materials to designated areas, and loads and unloads materials onto trucks or other vehicles using the loader
  • Weighs and measures materials to ensure accurate loading
  • Inspects and maintains the loader to ensure it is in proper working condition
  • Performs routine maintenance on the loader, such as cleaning and lubricating

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

  • Bobcat Operator
  • Front-end Loader Operator

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

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

    Loader Operator Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Construction 34.7% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Mining 19.0% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Manufacturing 11.6% Construction 8.9%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 6.0% Education and Training 8.8%
    Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services 5.7% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Wholesale Trade 3.8% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 3.6% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Public Administration and Safety 3.4% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Administrative and Support Services 2.5% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services 1.3% 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

      19.8%

    • Victoria

      18.9%

    • Queensland

      23.7%

    • South Australia

      9.0%

    • Tasmania

      2.0%

    • Northern Territory

      0.8%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      0.6%

    Loader Operator Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 1,200 19.8% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 1,100 18.9% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 1,400 23.7% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 540 9.0% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 1,500 25.1% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 120 2.0% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 50 0.8% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 40 0.6% 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

    Loader Operator

    Total employment

    Age group Loader Operator Total employment
    15–24 years 6.7% 14.3%
    25–34 years 15.6% 22.7%
    35–44 years 19.2% 22.3%
    45–54 years 25.8% 20.4%
    55–64 years 26.1% 15.3%
    65–74 years 6.2% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.4% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Loader Operator Total employment
    Female 4.3% 48.5%
    Male 95.8% 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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