Bridge crane operator vs erecting crane operator

The differences between bridge crane operators and erecting 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 bridge crane operator and an erecting crane operator. Additionally, an erecting crane operator has an average salary of $62,796, which is higher than the $44,983 average annual salary of a bridge crane operator.

The top three skills for a bridge crane operator include cranes, OSHA and hoisting. The most important skills for an erecting crane operator are cranes, , and .

Bridge crane operator vs erecting crane operator overview

	Bridge Crane Operator	Erecting Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$44,983	$62,796
Hourly rate	$21.63	$30.19
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	30,861	26,205
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	Associate Degree, 50%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Bridge crane operator vs erecting crane operator salary

Bridge crane operators and erecting crane operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bridge Crane Operator	Erecting Crane Operator
Average salary	$44,983	$62,796
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $73,000	Between $33,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between bridge crane operator and erecting crane operator education

There are a few differences between a bridge crane operator and an erecting crane operator in terms of educational background:

	Bridge Crane Operator	Erecting Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	Associate Degree, 50%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bridge crane operator vs erecting crane operator demographics

Here are the differences between bridge crane operators' and erecting crane operators' demographics:

	Bridge Crane Operator	Erecting Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 97.2% Female, 2.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 0.7% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 0.7% White, 73.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between bridge crane operator and erecting crane operator duties and responsibilities

Bridge crane operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
Operate Kone overhead cranes to offload railcars, load CTL line with steel coils and fix coil rows.

Erecting crane operator example responsibilities.

Inspect body harnesses and other PPE.
Operate 35- 350 ton hydraulic and conventional cranes, motor crane and crawler.
Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
Weld verticals operate sub arc welders add operate crane
Operate 70-ton overhead crane in lifting/transporting coils of aluminum for production processing.

Bridge crane operator vs erecting crane operator skills

Common bridge crane operator skills

Cranes, 34%
OSHA, 18%
Hoisting, 17%
Bulk Materials, 10%
Safety Checks, 7%
Position Loads, 6%

Common erecting crane operator skills

Cranes, 100%

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Transportation Industry
Bridge Crane Operator
Bridge Crane Operator vs Erecting Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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