OSCA occupation

741231 Earthmoving Plant Operator (General)

Operates a range of earthmoving plant to excavate, level, compact and shape earth and other materials to assist with building roads, rail, water supply, dams, treatment plants and agricultural earthworks.

Major group: 7 Machinery Operators and Drivers
Unit group: 7412 Earthmoving Plant Operators
Edition: OSCA 2024
Skill level: Level 4

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Official ANZSCO correspondence

ANZSCO 721211 Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) Partial correspondence in the ABS table

Role overview

Use this page to confirm the official title, the parent unit group, the task list and the related ANZSIC industry context before using the occupation in classification, reporting or migration-adjacent workflows.

Occupation facts

Skill level: 4
Major group: 7 Machinery Operators and Drivers
Sub-major group: 74 Mobile Plant Operators
Minor group: 741 Mobile Plant Operators
Unit group: 7412 Earthmoving Plant Operators

Tasks

Maintains and operates a range of earthmoving plant to excavate, level, compact and shape earth and other materials
Loads, transports and unloads materials using earthmoving plant and equipment
Performs routine pre-start checks, maintenance, minor repairs and adjustments on earthmoving plant and equipment
Monitors and reports any faults or malfunctions of earthmoving plant and equipment

Skill level guidance

Skill level helps place the occupation inside the ABS hierarchy. Use it as a classification cue, then check the actual task list and occupational context before making a decision for HR, visa or reporting work.

How to use this occupation page

Start with the official OSCA title and task list. Then confirm the parent unit group and compare the related occupations on this page if the job title is broad, overlapping or used differently across employers.

The ANZSIC links are there to help when the same occupation appears across several industries and you need the business-side classification as well.

Related occupations

Industry context

Alternative titles

Construction Plant Operator (General)

Compare before choosing

Compare OSCA 741231 with related occupations

Compare roles in the same OSCA unit group by their official definition, skill level, tasks and recognised alternative titles.

Comparison point	Current code741231 Earthmoving Plant Operator (General)	741232 Backhoe Operator	741233 Bulldozer Operator
Official role definition	Operates a range of earthmoving plant to excavate, level, compact and shape earth and other materials to assist with building roads, rail, water supply, dams, treatment plants and agricultural earthworks.	Operates a backhoe and attachments to excavate, break, drill, level and compact earth, rock and other material.	Operates a bulldozer using blades and other attachments to gouge out, level and move materials in construction, forestry, mining and other projects.
Skill level	Skill Level 4	Skill Level 4	Skill Level 4
Key tasks	Maintains and operates a range of earthmoving plant to excavate, level, compact and shape earth and other materials Loads, transports and unloads materials using earthmoving plant and equipment Performs routine pre-start checks, maintenance, minor repairs and adjustments on earthmoving plant and equipment Monitors and reports any faults or malfunctions of earthmoving plant and equipment	Operates a backhoe and attachments to excavate and remove earth, rock and other materials Breaks through hard surfaces using backhoe attachments Uses backhoe attachments to lift and place objects such as pipes, poles and logs Loads and unloads materials onto trucks or other vehicles using a backhoe	Prepares the bulldozer for operation by conducting pre-start checks and maintenance Operates the bulldozer to gouge out, level and move materials according to project specifications Uses blades and other attachments to perform tasks such as pushing, grading and compacting materials Monitors and adjusts the bulldozer's controls to ensure safe and efficient operation
Alternative titles	Construction Plant Operator (General)	Not stated	Dozer Operator

Comparison uses occupation definitions, skill levels, tasks and title variants from the ABS OSCA data files.

In this section

741231Earthmoving Plant Operator (General)
741232Backhoe Operator
741233Bulldozer Operator
741234Excavator Operator
741235Grader Operator
741236Loader Operator
741237Tunnel Constructor

Official source

Official source: ABS OSCA 2024 release and correspondence tables
Last reviewed: 2026-04-17

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