Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
Career Overview
This group includes workers who:
- Operate vehicles and equipment to maintain streets, highways and sewer systems
- Operate garbage trucks to collect garbage and recyclable materials
- Clear vegetation close to power lines
- Work for municipal, provincial and federal public works departments
- Work for private contractors under contract with government public works departments
- Work for private companies involved in the collection of refuse and recyclable materials
Job Titles
Duties
Public works maintenance equipment operators perform some or all of the following duties:
- Operate garbage trucks to remove garbage and other refuse and dump loads at selected sites
- Operate street cleaning equipment such as street sweepers or other vehicles equipped with rotating brushes to remove sand, litter and trash
- Drive snowplows or trucks fitted with plough blades to remove snow from streets, highways, parking lots and similar areas
- Operate sewer maintenance equipment such as rodders and sewer jet cleaners to maintain and repair sewer systems
- Drive trucks equipped with road sanding and other similar apparatus
- Operate chainsaws and other clearing equipment to fell trees and cut back vegetation close to power lines
- Check, lubricate, refuel and clean equipment and report any malfunctions to supervisor
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,485% Employed Full Time
64%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Workers may be exposed to various outdoor weather conditions
- Work is done using various types of heavy equipment such as snowplows and street sweepers
- Working with equipment and machinery can be a source of injury
- The workplace may be noisy and contain strong odours
- Working with some types of equipment may cause erratic movements in the body
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Some secondary school may be required
- Experience as a public works labourer is usually required
- On-the-job training is provided
- A driver's licence appropriate to a specific type of equipment may be required
- Trade certification for utility arborists is available, but voluntary, in Ontario and British Columbia
Trades training resources
- Visit our trades training page at www.workbc.ca/trades to learn about apprenticeship and trades training in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,485Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 65 | 4.4% |
| Kootenay | 80 | 5.4% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 785 | 52.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 70 | 4.7% |
| Northeast | 50 | 3.4% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 170 | 11.4% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 265 | 17.8% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
470Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 20 | 0.6% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 0.1% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 220 | 0.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 1.6% |
| Northeast | 10 | 1.4% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 70 | 0.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 110 | 1.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Business, Building and Other Support Services | 240 |
| Public Administration | 100 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 40 |
| Construction | 30 |
| Wholesale Trade | 30 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
