Crane mechanic vs heavy equipment mechanic

The differences between crane mechanics and heavy equipment mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a crane mechanic and a heavy equipment mechanic. Additionally, a heavy equipment mechanic has an average salary of $49,018, which is higher than the $45,278 average annual salary of a crane mechanic.

The top three skills for a crane mechanic include cranes, certifications and hand tools. The most important skills for a heavy equipment mechanic are CDL, hand tools, and loaders.

Crane mechanic vs heavy equipment mechanic overview

	Crane Mechanic	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Yearly salary	$45,278	$49,018
Hourly rate	$21.77	$23.57
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	34,847	98,464
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Crane mechanic vs heavy equipment mechanic salary

Crane mechanics and heavy equipment mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crane Mechanic	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Average salary	$45,278	$49,018
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $70,000	Between $36,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	-	Vermont
Best paying company	-	BNSF Railway
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between crane mechanic and heavy equipment mechanic education

There are a few differences between a crane mechanic and a heavy equipment mechanic in terms of educational background:

	Crane Mechanic	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Crane mechanic vs heavy equipment mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between crane mechanics' and heavy equipment mechanics' demographics:

	Crane Mechanic	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 98.8% Female, 1.2%	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	1%	1%

Differences between crane mechanic and heavy equipment mechanic duties and responsibilities

Crane mechanic example responsibilities.

Obtain license for booms, slab scissors, rough terrain forklifts, and warehouse forklifts.
Perform work in compliance with SHEA, ANSI, OSHA, and other applicable codes and regulations.
Interact with customers to ensure that annual/ quarterly inspections are complete on time in compliance with OSHA regulations.
Unschedule emergency repairs and breakdowns of cranes and relate equipment to facilitate minimal production delay.
Supervise mechanics in the diagnosis and repair of technical difficulties, installation and in mechanical failures of military equipment.
Conduct and solve several complicate troubleshooting problems involving a potential uncontrol dropped crane boom.

Heavy equipment mechanic example responsibilities.

Maintain and manage shop for parts, supplies and priority in jobs and cleanliness.
Operate grinders, vises, jacks, cranes, drill presses, pallet lifts, wheel lifts, and solvent tank.
Perform corrosion control and painting procedures on equipment using grinders, sanders, respirators and paint guns.
Fix and maintain all types of heavy equipment such as backhoe, excavator, bull dozer and grader.
Analyze and diagnose problems, troubleshoot electrical systems and their mechanical components.
Perform queries into competitor technology to maintain ability to perform accurate diagnosis on equipment not produce by caterpillar.

Crane mechanic vs heavy equipment mechanic skills

Common crane mechanic skills

Cranes, 34%
Certifications, 13%
Hand Tools, 13%
Boom Truck, 8%
Routine Maintenance, 4%
OSHA, 3%

Common heavy equipment mechanic skills

CDL, 8%
Hand Tools, 7%
Loaders, 6%
Cranes, 6%
Electrical Systems, 4%
End Loaders, 4%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Crane Mechanic
Crane Mechanic vs Heavy Equipment Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

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