Boom operator vs steel crane operator

The differences between boom operators and steel crane operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a boom operator and a steel crane operator. Additionally, a steel crane operator has an average salary of $38,900, which is higher than the $38,499 average annual salary of a boom operator.

The top three skills for a boom operator include building materials, boom truck and CDL. The most important skills for a steel crane operator are hand tools, customer orders, and torches.

Boom operator vs steel crane operator overview

	Boom Operator	Steel Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$38,499	$38,900
Hourly rate	$18.51	$18.70
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	31,804	30,309
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Boom operator vs steel crane operator salary

Boom operators and steel crane operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Boom Operator	Steel Crane Operator
Average salary	$38,499	$38,900
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $57,000	Between $25,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between boom operator and steel crane operator education

There are a few differences between a boom operator and a steel crane operator in terms of educational background:

	Boom Operator	Steel Crane Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Photography	Business
Most common college	-	-

Boom operator vs steel crane operator demographics

Here are the differences between boom operators' and steel crane operators' demographics:

	Boom Operator	Steel Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8%	Male, 98.5% Female, 1.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 0.7% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 0.7% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between boom operator and steel crane operator duties and responsibilities

Boom operator example 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
Direct activities of workers placing blocks and outriggers to prevent capsizing when lifting heavy loads.
Make sure enough spotters or swampers are adequate with the amount of equipment is being run.

Steel crane operator example responsibilities.

Certify with Hilti nail guns and oxygen torches.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Operate Kone overhead cranes to offload railcars, load CTL line with steel coils and fix coil rows.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Boom operator vs steel crane operator skills

Common boom operator skills

Building Materials, 27%
Boom Truck, 21%
CDL, 13%
DOT, 8%
Audio Equipment, 5%
Construction Materials, 3%

Common steel crane operator skills

Hand Tools, 76%
Customer Orders, 11%
Torches, 7%
CNC, 6%

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Transportation Industry
Boom Operator
Boom Operator vs Steel Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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