How To Become A Boom Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a boom operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a boom operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.51 an hour? That's $38,499 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 56,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreBoom OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,499

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.49%

Asian 0.68%

Black or African American 9.20%

Hispanic or Latino 20.19%

Unknown 3.60%

White 64.83%

Gender

female 9.81%

male 90.19%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a boom operator

Explore boom operator education requirements

Most common boom operator degrees

Bachelor's

49.7 %

Associate

22.7 %

High School Diploma

19.1 %

Start to develop specific boom operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Building Materials	27.28%
Boom Truck	21.44%
CDL	12.96%
DOT	7.71%
Audio Equipment	4.90%

Complete relevant boom operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New boom operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a boom operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real boom operator resumes.

Research boom operator duties and responsibilities

Operate various boom cranes to deliver building materials to residential and commercial construction sites.
Prepare for rigging and hoisting.
Fix cab crane operator and CDL driver dump truck.
Make sure all crewmembers are wearing PPE, and also securement of job site

Prepare your boom operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your boom operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a boom operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable boom operator resume templates

Build a professional boom operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your boom operator resume.

Apply for boom operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a boom operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do boom operators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Boom operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020

Pros

With concentration, using the right lifting material, watching for safe environment while lifting and offloading, having the LMI working etc, you'll have a less accident work delivery.

Cons

Other works going on around lifting and offloading point, etc.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020