NJ Civil Service Navigator

EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, HIGHWAY

Code: 42013 State Competitive Range: O12 (FY 2027)
Salary: $43,933.62 - $63,340.72/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

To land Equipment Operator, Highway in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.

To be eligible you bring 1 year of relevant experience and a commercial driver's license. The FY 2027 range lands between $43,934 and $63,341.

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This title is filled by competitive examination.

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Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under the direction of a Crew Supervisor, Equipment Operators or other supervisory officer, in the Department of Transportation, operates, checks, services, and with assistance, makes emergency and minor repairs to mechanized highway and other construction and maintenance equipment; does related work as required.

Examples of work

  • Operates trucks, tractors, pumps, compressors, small cranes, rollers, graders, small concrete mixers, front end loaders, small backhoes, truck mounted core drills and other mechanized highway and construction equipment as required.
  • Checks, services and assists in making minor and emergency adjustments and repairs in the field and in the repair shop.
  • Mixes, pours, and samples concrete, bituminous concrete and concrete slabs.
  • Assists masons, carpenters, blacksmiths and painters doing construction and maintenance work and shop repairs as may be required.
  • Moves equipment from one location to another.
  • Pulls cables; lifts steel poles and posts; drills under hard highway surfaces for pipe and cable installations and, when not so engaged, loads and unloads trucks and freight cars.
  • Operates various types of snow removal equipment and helps to keep roads clear; assists in the repair of snow removal equipment; assists in the installation of snow plow attachments to trucks; and loads, unloads and delivers snow plow equipment to various locations within the state as may be required.
  • Does other work as assigned, when not engaged in operating equipment, including highway or other road and landscape construction, maintenance and repair work; building construction, service, maintenance and repair work, and groundskeeping work.
  • Maintains simple records.
  • May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

One (1) year of experience in the operation, adjustment and maintenance of mechanized highway and/or other construction and maintenance equipment.

License

Appointee must possess a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and applicable endorsements for the class and type of vehicle being operated.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Knowledge of the skilled and safe operation of mechanized highway and other construction and maintenance equipment.
  • Knowledge of construction operations and procedures and of the proper use of mechanized equipment, including cleaning, greasing, servicing and making minor adjustments and repairs to equipment.
  • Ability to analyze problems involving the operation of mechanized highway and other construction equipment.
  • Ability to organize and carry out fairly complex work projects involving the use of mechanized equipment.
  • Ability to understand, remember and carry out oral and written directions of some complexity and to learn quickly from explanations and demonstrations.
  • Ability to operate mechanized equipment in a skilled and safe manner.
  • Ability to check, clean, service and assist in making minor and emergency repairs to mechanized equipment.
  • Ability to load ,unload, and deliver equipment and materials and to transfer mechanized equipment from one location to another.
  • Ability to maintain simple records.
  • Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
  • Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
  • CODES: O12- DDC 04/01/93

Note

The responsibility for ensuring that employees possess the required motor vehicle license, commensurate with the class and type of vehicles they operate, rests with the Appointing Authority.