{"id":15715,"date":"2026-09-04T05:14:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T05:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/?p=15715"},"modified":"2026-09-04T05:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T05:14:08","slug":"2026-agc-workforce-survey-what-contractors-will-hire-you-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/2026-agc-workforce-survey-what-contractors-will-hire-you-for\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2026 AGC Workforce Survey: What Contractors Will Hire You For"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">Eighty-seven percent of firms<\/a> still have hourly craft openings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">Seventy-three percent<\/a> expect to add people in the next 12 months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">Half of respondents<\/a> say applicants lack skills, certificates, or licenses. That is the hiring door.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Worker shortages remain the top delay cause, cited by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">42 percent of firms<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">Eighty-three percent<\/a> lose some new field hires in the first 90 days. Showing up trained helps you stay.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Construction equipment operators sit near a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/construction-equipment-operators.htm\">median of $59,600<\/a>. About <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/construction-equipment-operators.htm\">42,500 openings<\/a> are projected each year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AGC&#8217;s 2026 survey is clear: contractors still have craft openings. They hire people with skills and licenses. A soft market did not open easy heavy equipment operator jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Associated General Contractors of America ran this survey in July and August 2026. About 1,830 people from construction firms answered. Headcount fell at some shops. Open seats did not go away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are switching careers, read the survey as a hiring list. Not as a headline about data halls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The market split most job boards skip<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some firms cut staff. Most still plan to hire. Both can be true in the same year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">Thirty-seven percent<\/a> cut headcount by at least 5 percent. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">Thirty-four percent<\/a> grew by at least 5 percent. Cuts won by a hair. That is the first time since the pandemic that cuts outpaced growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then the next-year question flips the story. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">Seventy-three percent<\/a> expect to add employees. Only 8 percent expect more cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>What the survey measured<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Share of firms<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>What it means for you<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hourly craft openings now<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">87%<\/a><\/td><td>The seat exists. The resume still has to clear the bar.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Salaried openings<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">82%<\/a><\/td><td>Superintendents and PMs are tight too. You are not competing with them for a cab.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Craft jobs as hard or harder to fill than last year<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">88%<\/a> of firms with openings<\/td><td>&#8220;Soft market&#8221; is not the same as easy hiring.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Plan to add staff next 12 months<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">73%<\/a><\/td><td>Fall 2026 is still a hiring window if you are qualified.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Headcount up 5%+ at firms over $500 million<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">79%<\/a><\/td><td>Bigger civil and industrial shops kept growing.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growth clustered in larger firms. Firms doing $50.1 million to $500 million grew headcount at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">54 percent<\/a>. The smallest shops lagged. Highway, utility, and federal work sat in the stronger set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is the work we train people for in Sun Prairie. Cut and fill. Grade. Lift. Not every small remodeler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What contractors want for heavy equipment operator jobs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contractors will hire you if you can prove skill and last on a crew. They will not hire a walk-on who needs the jobsite to become a classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">Fifty percent<\/a> of firms say available candidates are not qualified. The stated reason is missing skills, certificates, or licenses. That share improved from 57 percent last year. It is still the top barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OSHA does not issue a national &#8220;operator card&#8221; for most dirt machines. The employer may only let people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/laws-regs\/regulations\/standardnumber\/1926\/1926.20\">qualified by training or experience<\/a> run equipment. Documented seat time is how you show that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A certificate here means proof you were trained on the machine. It is not a federal license. Crane work is the exception. OSHA requires third-party crane credentials. That is the NCCCO path, not a dirt-machine path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Screen<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Survey signal<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>How you clear it<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Skills on the iron<\/td><td>Top reason people fail the screen<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/heavy_equipment_training.php\">Heavy equipment training<\/a> with real seat time on excavators, dozers, loaders, and related machines<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Certificates or licenses<\/td><td>Same 50% barrier<\/td><td>Paper from a real program. For cranes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/mobile_crane_training.php\">mobile crane training<\/a> aimed at NCCCO<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Drug test<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">30%<\/a> of firms cite it<\/td><td>Treat it as a hiring rule, not a surprise<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Driver&#8217;s license, work papers, background<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">36%<\/a><\/td><td>Clean paperwork before you apply<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New hires who vanish<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">42%<\/a> say people no-show or quit fast<\/td><td>See the 90-day section below<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pay is still moving. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">Fifty-five percent<\/a> of firms raised craft base pay more than they did a year earlier. Another 29 percent matched last year&#8217;s raise. You do not get that pay bump without proof you can run the iron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">Thirty-five percent<\/a> of firms increased training spend. A quarter added or grew on-site craft training. Shops will still pick the person who already has hours in the cab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If money is the blocker, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/financial_assistance.php\">financial assistance<\/a> is how a lot of career-changers cover tuition. Ask about it before you assume you cannot enroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/how-to-get-a-heavy-equipment-operator-job-with-no-experience\/\">get a heavy equipment operator job with no experience<\/a>. &#8220;No experience&#8221; in that sense means no prior job title. It does not mean no training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why people wash out in 90 days<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most firms lose some new field people in the first three months. The survey&#8217;s main reason is a mismatch between the job they pictured and the job they got.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">Eighty-three percent<\/a> of firms report at least some turnover among new field employees in the first 90 days. After the expectation gap, they name physical demands, travel, and scheduling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is not a mystery on a Dane County grade job in March. Freeze-thaw wrecks gravel. Mud holds the tracks. The cab is loud. You work in weather the office staff never sees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A construction equipment operator is the person who runs dozers, excavators, loaders, and similar machines to move earth and material. BLS puts the median at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/construction-equipment-operators.htm\">$59,600 a year<\/a> as of May 2025. The high end clears <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/construction-equipment-operators.htm\">$100,660<\/a>. That pay assumes you can last through a bad week of weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seat time before the first paycheck is how you test the work. If the hours and the dirt are not for you, you find that out in training. Not on a contractor&#8217;s overtime sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where the heavy equipment operator jobs actually are<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The open seats sit with larger contractors and heavier work. Data centers raise wages. They are not a separate operator job title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">Twenty-eight percent<\/a> of firms did data-center work in the past year. Among those shops, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">58 percent<\/a> say those jobs increased competition for skilled workers. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">Forty-nine percent<\/a> report wage pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We already covered the start numbers in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/the-data-center-construction-boom-what-it-means-for-heavy-equipment-operators\/\">data center construction<\/a> piece. The survey&#8217;s point is simpler. Those sites pull trained people off other jobs. The hire they want is still an excavator, dozer, loader, or crane operator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immigration enforcement is a side pressure, not the main plot. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">Twenty-nine percent<\/a> of firms felt some impact in the past six months. The South was highest at 42 percent. The Midwest was lowest at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">17 percent<\/a>. Wisconsin sits in that lower band. Training still matters more than headlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most dirt work still does not need a CDL. Hauling the machine between sites can. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/you-dont-need-a-cdl-to-run-heavy-equipment-heres-when-you-do\/\">CDL vs. equipment<\/a> guide covers that line. Do not delay <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/heavy_equipment_training.php\">heavy equipment training<\/a> because you think a Class A comes first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Will AI take the operator seat?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contractors do not see AI as a replacement for the person in the cab. They see it in the office first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">Fifty-one percent<\/a> expect AI and robotics to help the industry over the next five years. Only 8 percent expect a negative hit. The top uses they name are estimating, document review, and scheduling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Machines still need a qualified operator. Grade still has to match the stakes. A load still has to match the chart. Software does not sit the OSHA test for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BLS still projects about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/construction-equipment-operators.htm\">42,500 openings a year<\/a> for construction equipment operators through 2035. Retirement and people leaving the trade drive a lot of that. That is the gap the survey is describing in contractor language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to be the person they will hire, get the hours and the paperwork. Then stay past week two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/training_dates.php\">upcoming training dates<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/application.php\">apply online<\/a>, or call ATS at <strong>(800) 383-7364<\/strong>. Career Services can help with a resume and employer leads. You still take the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Can you get a heavy equipment operator job with no experience?<\/strong> A: Yes, if &#8220;no experience&#8221; means no prior operator title. Contractors still want documented training. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">Half of firms<\/a> say applicants lack skills, certificates, or licenses. Seat time is how you close that gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Do I need a CDL to run heavy equipment?<\/strong> A: Usually no. Most machines stay on the jobsite. A CDL matters when you drive a commercial truck on public roads. Confirm the role before you delay equipment training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Is it hard to get into heavy equipment operator jobs in 2026?<\/strong> A: It is hard if you apply untrained. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">Eighty-eight percent<\/a> of firms with craft openings say those jobs are as hard or harder to fill than last year. The shortage is qualified people, not empty job ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Will AI replace heavy equipment operators?<\/strong> A: Contractors in the survey mostly expect AI to help estimating and planning. They do not treat it as a cab replacement. Openings remain in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/construction-equipment-operators.htm\">tens of thousands a year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sources<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/news\/2026\/09\/03\/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain\">Associated General Contractors of America: 2026 Workforce Survey news release<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/users\/user21902\/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf\">AGC of America: 2026 Workforce Survey Analysis (PDF)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enr.com\/articles\/63618-even-as-contractors-cut-headcount-73-still-plan-to-hire\">Engineering News-Record: Even as Contractors Cut Headcount, 73% Still Plan to Hire<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/construction-equipment-operators.htm\">U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Construction Equipment Operators Occupational Outlook<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/laws-regs\/regulations\/standardnumber\/1926\/1926.20\">OSHA 29 CFR 1926.20: General safety and health provisions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>73% of contractors plan to add staff. The barrier is skills and licenses. Read what the 2026 AGC survey means for career-changers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-15715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-heavy-equipment-training","entry","no-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15715\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15715"},{"taxonomy":"post_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.operator-school.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_series?post=15715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}