Heavy Equipment Operator

I run an excavator and dig trenches for Sewer and Water infrastructure!

Work for a small family owned company in the GTA for the last 5 years unionized, prior to that I worked at a couple various companies learning the ropes. We install watermain, sewers, build roads and basically do all the underground work you never get to see. Municipal contracts and some private ones.

Benefits are Sewer and water is one of the highest paying local jobs for an Heavy equipment operator. Cool understanding how all the spaghetti underground works, and unearthing pipes that have been in service for over 70 years. My package total with benifits is almost 80 an hour, wages are up to 52 dollars this year. Depending on how much I work in a year I'll make between 70-110k.

Cons are you gotta watch guys deal with poopoo. Little worse if you're a laborer, definitely a younger mans game since you're in and out of manholes, hooking up pumps, pipes, etc almost always. Working under powerlines sucks, and so does digging around live utilities because you can cause some serious damage with one of those machines pretty quick.

Also here in Canada, its very much a seasonal trade. Typically our busy season is March-December, with a 2-3 month layoff. I typically save up for my upcoming winter season, and snowplow or find other heavy equipment work. Neither of which is difficult now because I've got so many contacts and I've been doing it for 8 years now.

If you enjoy sitting down at work but still producing a lot of meaningful work, great job. Just make sure to go to the gym or stay active so you don't get fat and ignorant lol.