Bridge crane operator vs port crane operator

The differences between bridge crane operators and port 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 a port crane operator. Additionally, a bridge crane operator has an average salary of $44,983, which is higher than the $44,298 average annual salary of a port crane operator.

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

Bridge crane operator vs port crane operator overview

	Bridge Crane Operator	Port Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$44,983	$44,298
Hourly rate	$21.63	$21.30
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	30,861	32,651
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Bridge crane operator vs port crane operator salary

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

	Bridge Crane Operator	Port Crane Operator
Average salary	$44,983	$44,298
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $73,000	Between $27,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between bridge crane operator and port crane operator education

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

	Bridge Crane Operator	Port Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	General Studies	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Bridge crane operator vs port crane operator demographics

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

	Bridge Crane Operator	Port Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0%
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, 10.5% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 0.7% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between bridge crane operator and port 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.

Port crane operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
Drive truck to location and offload buildings to designate site using an ABC crane.

Bridge crane operator vs port crane operator skills

Common bridge crane operator skills

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

Common port crane operator skills

CDL, 100%

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Transportation Industry
Bridge Crane Operator
Bridge Crane Operator vs Port Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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