Loader Operator

A Loader Operator drives and manoeuvres heavy wheeled or tracked loading equipment on construction sites, quarries, mines, and waste management facilities to move, load, and stockpile bulk materials such as soil, aggregates, waste, and mineral ore. The role requires precise control of hydraulic systems, buckets, and boom arms whilst maintaining safety protocols and communicating with ground personnel and site supervisors.

Operate wheeled loaders or tracked loaders using controls to lift, carry, and deposit materials into trucks, hoppers, or designated storage areas. Position loader bucket at correct angles and depths to load material efficiently whilst maintaining load balance and equipment stability. Manoeuvre heavy equipment in confined spaces on site, reversing safely and maintaining visibility through mirrors and camera feeds where fitted. Inspect loader before shift commencement including hydraulic fluid levels, bucket attachments, tyres, and brake systems in accordance with Safe Work Australia guidelines. Communicate via two-way radio or hand signals with spotters, truck drivers, and site supervisors to coordinate loading sequences and maintain site safety. Grade and level ground using loader bucket or blade attachment to prepare surfaces for construction or quarrying operations. Monitor fuel consumption and report equipment defects or maintenance requirements to site supervisors or plant managers. Operate loader in adverse weather conditions including dust, mud, and wet ground whilst adjusting technique to maintain traction and control.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll be stuck in a cabin doing repetitive bucket-and-dump cycles for 8 to 10 hours a day, often in dust, mud, or heat. The work is monotonous and physically taxing on your back and neck. Pay sits below skilled trades, and there's limited room to move up unless you become a supervisor. Automation may reduce the number of operators needed on some larger sites over time.

Jobs are site-based and temporary: you follow projects, not the other way around. Remote work doesn't exist in this role.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 7212, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Dispatch Documentationcore
• Forklift Licence Coordinationcore
• Goods Receipt Processingcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stock Counting and Stocktakecore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)core
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Driver and Courier Liaison
• ERP and Inventory Systems
• Freight Coordination
• Problem Solving
• Stock Reconciliation
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Loader Operator workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026