Work as an excavator operator in The Hague
As an excavator operator, you run an excavator, mini excavator or wheel loader independently. This skilled trade requires experience or a diploma.
- Hourly wage (indication) €20.02 to €22.68 gross per hour
- Required Experience or diploma
- Certificate VCA Basis
Applying and registering with us is free of charge.
Digging, loading and finishing exactly to level
- Excavating building pits with a tracked excavator
- Sewer trenches with a wheeled excavator
- House connections with a mini excavator
- Loading lorries and levelling with a wheel loader
- Finishing slopes with GPS and 3D machine control
- Changing attachments and demolishing with a sorting grab or breaker
- Checking and greasing your machine daily
Where you work
- Sewers, cables and pipes in the city
- Site preparation and road building
- Demolition projects and depots
What you bring into the cab
- You have experience on the machine or an operator diploma
- You hold VCA Basis, a B licence and a T licence for public roads
- You read drawings and dig carefully around pipes
- You speak Dutch or the team's language
Because you work with a machine on a construction site, you must be at least 18.
Your hourly wage depends on machine and diploma
A recognised operator diploma outweighs your years of experience.
Gross hourly wage on simple machines or with little experience, aged 21 and over
€20.02 to €22.68 gross per hour
This is an indication, not a promised wage. Your hourly wage is always stated in the job.
- Working independently on the machine, with or without a diploma
- €22.68 to €23.78 gross per hour
Overtime, night work and weekend work often carry extra pay.
Source: job group wages, Bouw en Infra collective labour agreement (cao), 1 January 2026. Checked on 5 October 2026.
When you work and when work stops
Early in the cab
Most teams start around 07:00.
Frost and season
Severe frost can stop groundworks, and spring to autumn is busy.
Nights and weekends
Roads, railways and sewers are sometimes worked on at night or at weekends.
What the law requires and what companies ask for
Proof of competence
Always requiredThe law sets no licence card, but you must be able to show safe operation. A diploma or certificate usually does that.
VCA Basis
Always requiredThe law does not require it, but construction, demolition and civil engineering clients do.
Registration for lifting (TCVT RA)
Sometimes asked forLifting loads on a construction site with a machine of 10 tonne-metres or more requires this registration. Laying pipes in your own trench is exempt.
Before you climb in, you know the machine and the wage
Your hourly wage is stated
Every job advert states the gross hourly wage, the same as for permanent operators.
Your machines count
We ask which machines you know and which papers you hold.
You know where to be
You hear the address and start time beforehand. Call or message our team with questions.
Moving up in earthmoving from mini excavator to site manager
- Groundworker
- Operator on a mini or wheeled excavator
- All-round operator with GPS
- Team leader or site manager
Work on excavators and wheel loaders around The Hague
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From your application to your first working day
At every step you know what happens and who you can call.
You apply or register
You can use the form, send us a WhatsApp message or call us, also without a CV.
We call you
Our team calls you to get to know you and to hear what work you are looking for.
You hear what the work is
Before you start, you hear the tasks, the working hours, the gross hourly wage and what to bring.
You start working
On your first day you know where to go and who to call if you have a question.
Questions about diplomas, lifting and your wage
Can I start as an excavator operator without experience?
No, not without experience or a diploma. Take a training course first, or start as a groundworker and move up.
Is there a mandatory certificate for excavators?
No, the law names no fixed diploma or card. Companies do ask for one as proof.
How long is my registration for lifting valid?
It is valid for five years. Renewal takes two refresher days and proof of practical experience.
Why does the hourly wage differ per job?
You get the wage of that company's permanent operators. That wage differs per company, per machine and per diploma.
Can I work with a foreign operator certificate?
Ordinary excavation work has no fixed recognition procedure, so the company assesses your proof. Lifting work requires the Dutch registration.
Does applying through Groos cost money?
No, you pay nothing to apply or register, and no CV is needed.
Looking for work in the cab of an excavator or wheel loader?
Apply or register. Our team calls you about your machines and your papers.
You can also apply without a CV.