Education · 1 of 4

The path

This is an hours trade. Almost nobody learns it in a classroom.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   Math matters more than people expect: grades, slopes and volumes. Get a driver's license the day you can.

2. 2

   Get on a crew

   Months

   Many operators start as construction laborers and move onto machines when someone notices they are careful. Others apply straight into an apprenticeship.

3. 3

   Registered apprenticeship

   3 to 4 years

   Run by a union local or an employer and registered with the United States Department of Labor. Classroom weeks plus several thousand hours of paid work on real jobs.

4. 4

   Learn more machines

   Ongoing

   Start on a skid steer or a roller, move to excavators, dozers and graders. Fine grading with a blade is the skill people respect.

5. 5

   Journey-level operator

   After your hours

   Full rate, your pick of machines, and the ability to move between contractors and between states.