Potential earnings
£51,034.85
Job holders in this unit group supervise and undertake the operation of machines to transport, excavate, grade, level, and compact sand, earth, gravel and similar materials, drive piles into the ground and lay surfaces of asphalt, concrete and chippings, clear and cultivate land, to sow and harvest plants and crops, and operate other mobile machines.
Main tasks
- Cleans, oils and greases machine and carries out minor repairs.
- Drives and operates machinery to plough, fertilise, plant, cultivate or harvest crops.
- Operates tractors, combine harvesters or other farm vehicles, attaches plough, cultivator or other implements and adjusts depth, speed and height to requirements.
- Directs refilling of machine hopper and repeats operations as necessary.
- Watches operation and removes any likely obstacle or obstructions.
- Manipulates levers, pedals and switches to manoeuvre vehicle, regulate angle and height of blades, buckets and hammers and starts conveyor, suction or water spraying system.
- Fixes any necessary extensions onto machine and loads machine with asphalt, concrete, bitumen, tar, stone chippings or any other required materials.
Source: Office for National Statistics.
Salary and earnings
Average earnings
£33,527.81
Source: Office for National Statistics' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
What course level do I need to study?
The level of study required will vary with each job, sector and company. The table below shows the level of study achieved by those currently working in this career choice.
Educational requirements: Level 2 NVQ; GCSE at grades A*-C
Source: Office for National Statistics.
| Level of study | Percentage achieved |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | 14% |
| Level 1 | 26% |
| Level 2 | 36% |
| Level 3 | 15% |
| Level 4-5 (Higher Education) | 4% |
| Level 6 (Bachelors) | 5% |
| Level 7 (Masters or equivalent) | 0% |
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) data.
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Economic data for careers is provided by Lightcast and also available through our Career Coach app. Job postings, employment and earnings information is represented at the regional level for the East Midlands.
