Crane and Tower Operators
What Crane and Tower Operators Do
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 3.5/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.0/5
- Transportationimportance 2.9/5
- English Languageimportance 2.9/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.8/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 2.7/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.5/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.7/5
- Contact With Others4.5/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic96% skill match
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons96% skill match
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators96% skill match
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators95% skill match
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood95% skill match
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators95% skill match
- Pile Driver Operators95% skill match
- Logging Equipment Operators95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.9/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.9/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 2.9/5
- Repairingimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Crane operation control software
- Inventory tracking software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Self-Confidence
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where crane and tower operators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA12.82× national avg
- 2Corpus Christi, TX6.23× national avg
- 3Decatur, AL6.07× national avg
- 4Monroe, MI5.70× national avg
- 5Mobile, AL5.55× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsCareer Change
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface MiningCareer Change
- Pile Driver OperatorsCareer Change
- Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
- Advanced Career Institute (Visalia, CA)grads earn ~$53,102
- Delta Technical College-Mississippi (Horn Lake, MS)grads earn ~$40,840
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island (Pawtucket, RI)grads earn ~$62,775
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of CT-Bridgeport (Bridgeport, CT)grads earn ~$52,736
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Massachusetts (North Andover, MA)grads earn ~$62,775