Occupations · Transportation and Material Moving
Crane and Tower Operators
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 53-7021.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 79% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $75,450 | 2,390 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $94,370 | 1,460 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $74,570 | 1,380 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $57,740 | 1,210 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $67,230 | 930 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $61,780 | 760 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $67,960 | 760 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $79,440 | 720 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $84,470 | 620 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $75,960 | 590 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $72,630 | 570 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | $67,410 | 540 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
- Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
- Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
- Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.
- Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary.
- Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.
- Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements, and remove and batch packaging tickets.
- Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions.
- Direct truck drivers backing vehicles into loading bays and cover, uncover, or secure loads for delivery.
- Weigh bundles, using floor scales, and record weights for company records.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2015-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2015-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Inspect crane site conditions to determine ground stability.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 1
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| container crane operator | 8343.2 | broader |
| rigger | 7215.2 | broader |
| mobile crane operator | 8343.3 | broader |
| tower crane operator | 8343.5 | broader |
| production plant crane operator | 8343.4 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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