Crane operator vs marine tower operator

The differences between crane operators and marine tower 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 crane operator and a marine tower operator. Additionally, a crane operator has an average salary of $54,275, which is higher than the $48,234 average annual salary of a marine tower operator.

The top three skills for a crane operator include cranes, NCCCO and CDL. The most important skills for a marine tower operator are logistics, coast guard, and .

Crane operator vs marine tower operator overview

	Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Yearly salary	$54,275	$48,234
Hourly rate	$26.09	$23.19
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	34,918	37,427
Job satisfaction	4.67	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Crane operator vs marine tower operator salary

Crane operators and marine tower operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Average salary	$54,275	$48,234
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $83,000	Between $24,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Katerra	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between crane operator and marine tower operator education

There are a few differences between a crane operator and a marine tower operator in terms of educational background:

	Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Crane operator vs marine tower operator demographics

Here are the differences between crane operators' and marine tower operators' demographics:

	Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%	Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 0.7% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 0.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between crane operator and marine tower operator duties and responsibilities

Crane operator example responsibilities.

Perform preventive maintenance on cranes in accordance with manufacturer and OSHA requirements.
Train, test and certify to run all small and large hydraulic cranes through NCCCO.
Operate LBT and TLL cranes, loading and unloading concrete bridge girders in a precast yard in a production setting.
Rig cranes to handle constriction materials using appropriate nylon and wire rope slings, shackles and other material handling equipment.
Arch, MIG, and TIG welding.
Maintain and use appropriate PPE.

Marine tower operator example responsibilities.

Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
Work closely with IAD ATCT and airlines to coordinate safe and efficient gate and non-movement area transitions.

Crane operator vs marine tower operator skills

Common crane operator skills

Cranes, 25%
NCCCO, 7%
CDL, 7%
OSHA, 4%
Hoisting, 4%
Safety Rules, 3%

Common marine tower operator skills

Logistics, 65%
Coast Guard, 35%

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Crane Operator
Crane Operator vs Marine Tower Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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