Also called: High-Reach Excavator Operator, Demolition Machine Operator
Operates excavators with booms over 100 feet long that chew down tall buildings from the top, one floor at a time.
From a cab with a camera screen, you guide a giant shear arm 15 stories up and nibble apart a concrete wall. A spotter on the ground and a water cannon help you keep dust down and make sure debris falls exactly where planned.
Estimated; union operators in big cities earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Apprenticeship, about 3 years after high school. High school plus operator training or an operating engineers apprenticeship.
Ways in: Apprenticeship, On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Heavy Equipment Operations.
Growing about average. Steady demand from teardown of old towers and industrial plants.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Remote-control demolition machines are growing, but skilled operators still run them.
Classes: Auto or small engines, Physics, Construction tech.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-2073.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.