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Paving Plant Operators

ANZSCO ID 721913

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
270
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
90%
Female Share
2%
Average age
41
About this data

Summary

Paving Plant Operators operate plants to spread and level hot bituminous paving materials and lay concrete on areas such as highways, roads and car parks.

Tasks

  • Operates bitumen plant using a range of foot and hand controls focussing on applying paving materials systematically to the area to be paved.

Characteristics

Job Type
Machinery Operators And Drivers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
7219 Other Mobile Plant Operators
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Mobile Plant Operators, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 90% of people employed as Paving Plant Operators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 24 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 48 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Construction
82.8%
2
Public Administration and Safety
7.3%
3
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
2.6%
4
Mining
1.1%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

28.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

17.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

27.6% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

13.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.9% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

4.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Paving Plant Operators All Jobs Average
NSW 28.7 31.6
VIC 17.5 25.6
QLD 27.6 20.0
SA 5.1 7.0
WA 13.1 10.8
TAS 2.9 2.0
NT 4.0 1.0
ACT 1.1 1.9


  • Around 65% of Paving Plant Operators live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland and the Northern Territory have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
41
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
2%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Paving Plant Operators is 41 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 2% of the workforce. This is 46 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Paving Plant Operators All Jobs Average
15-19 1.1 5.0
20-24 6.1 9.3
25-34 23.6 22.9
35-44 25.9 22.0
45-54 28.5 21.6
55-59 8.4 9.0
60-64 3.8 6.0
65 and Over 2.7 4.2
Median Age 41 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Paving Plant Operator. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in civil construction or bituminous surfacing.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Paving Plant Operators All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 0.0 10.1
Bachelor degree 1.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 2.3 11.6
Certificate III/IV 32.2 21.1
Year 12 16.7 18.1
Year 11 11.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 36.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Other Mobile Plant Operators who are trustworthy and responsible, can communicate with a variety of people and have good team work skills

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 48%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 41%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 39%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 39%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 37%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 36%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 36%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 34%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

  • 32%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 32%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 32%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 32%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 32%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 29%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 27%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 27%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 55%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 52%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 50%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 48%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 47%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 44%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 43%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 41%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 41%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 39%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 37%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 35%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 31%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 28%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 28%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 28%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 26%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 25%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 25%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 18%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 52%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 50%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 48%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 48%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 48%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 46%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 45%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 43%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 43%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 41%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 39%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 39%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 37%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 37%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 36%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 34%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 79%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 73%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 70%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 69%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 64%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 57%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 56%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 55%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 53%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 53%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 52%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 51%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 50%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 49%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 48%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 48%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 43%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 41%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 39%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 39%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 38%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 81%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 52%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 40%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 29%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 95%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 94%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 92%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 91%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 89%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 89%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 88%

    Dangerous equipment

    Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.

  • 88%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 88%

    In an open vehicle or equipment

    Work in an open vehicle (e.g., a tractor).

  • 85%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 85%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 84%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 82%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 79%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 79%

    Whole body vibration

    Be exposed to whole body vibration (e.g., operate a jackhammer).

  • 79%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 77%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 77%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 75%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

  • 73%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2071.00 - Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators.

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