Bridge crane operator vs yard crane operator

The differences between bridge crane operators and yard 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 yard crane operator. Additionally, a bridge crane operator has an average salary of $44,983, which is higher than the $43,991 average annual salary of a yard crane operator.

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

Bridge crane operator vs yard crane operator overview

	Bridge Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$44,983	$43,991
Hourly rate	$21.63	$21.15
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	30,861	33,817
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 62%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Bridge crane operator vs yard crane operator salary

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

	Bridge Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Average salary	$44,983	$43,991
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $73,000	Between $27,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between bridge crane operator and yard crane operator education

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

	Bridge Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 62%
Most common major	General Studies	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Bridge crane operator vs yard crane operator demographics

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

	Bridge Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4%
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, 11.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 0.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between bridge crane operator and yard 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.

Yard crane operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
Perform daily preventative maintenance on mobile crane.
Set aluminum panels to pour concrete foundation.

Bridge crane operator vs yard crane operator skills

Common bridge crane operator skills

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

Common yard crane operator skills

Cranes, 54%
Hoisting, 34%
Yard Operations, 5%
Rail Cars, 4%
Bobcat, 3%

Bridge Crane Operator vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Bridge Crane Operator
Bridge Crane Operator vs Yard Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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