What does a crane operator do?
A crane operator's work involves the control of draglines or cranes to lift, move, position or place machinery, equipment, and other large objects at industrial or construction sites, ports, surface mines, railway yards, and other similar locations. Their tasks and duties include conducting crane maintenance such as lubricating and cleaning, inspecting cranes, and assembling tower cranes. Some of them work with all three cranes, namely the boom trucks, mobile cranes, and tower cranes, while others prefer to specialize.
Crane operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real crane operator resumes:
- 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.
- Operate a 50 ton link-belt crane.
- hoist crane operator and some cnc.
- Wear proper PPE and use lock out tag out
- Maintain rig supports: transportation of production supplies.
- DOT pre-trip and post-trip truck inspections and maintenance.
- Unload sling back trailers with a gantry crane.
- Comply with all regulations put in place by the state for CDL drivers.
- Serve as district driver trainer and CDL instructor helping staff improve their driving skills and performance.
- Operate hydraulic and friction cranes, ability to perform maintenance and ensure safety operation.
Crane operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 25% of Crane Operators are proficient in Cranes, NCCCO, and CDL. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Mechanical skills, and Visual ability.
We break down the percentage of Crane Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cranes, 25%
Operated overhead crane for anodize operations Load and unload metal from racks Chemical analysis
- NCCCO, 7%
Operated different type of machinery when needed CERTIFICATONS NCCCO Certified large hydraulic crane operator Heavy equipment operator CDL A
- CDL, 7%
Drive a Class B CDL vehicle with diligence and care for those around the work area.
- OSHA, 4%
Fabricated industrial railing, Practiced safety in the workplace, meeting OSHA safety requirements, main structural welding responsibilities
- Hoisting, 4%
Calculated load ratings for daily hoisting operations.
- Safety Rules, 3%
Load and unload equipment with crane, forklift operations, and adhere to all safety rules and regulations.
"cranes," "nccco," and "cdl" are among the most common skills that crane operators use at work. You can find even more crane operator responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a crane operator to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "material moving machine operators signal and direct workers to load and unload material." Crane operators often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "radio communication, reading hand signals, working topside, production level, plus ten, boat landing etc. "
Mechanical skills. Another essential skill to perform crane operator duties is mechanical skills. Crane operators responsibilities require that "material moving machine operators make minor adjustments to their machines and perform basic maintenance on them." Crane operators also use mechanical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "operated mechanical boom and cable towers, moved cable equipment to lift and move materials around. "
Visual ability. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of crane operators is visual ability. This skill is critical to many everyday crane operator duties, as "material moving machine operators must be able to see clearly where they are driving or what they are moving." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "finalized visual inspection of equipment, or recreation areas to ensure compliance with safety standards, taking corrective action as necessary. "
The three companies that hire the most crane operators are:
- Builders FirstSource24 crane operators jobs
- RES Success
19 crane operators jobs
- The Walsh Group10 crane operators jobs
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Compare different crane operators
Crane operator vs. Equipment operator
Equipment operators are employees who are assigned to work on specific company equipment. They are skilled workers trained to handle all aspects of the particular equipment, from basic operating to repairing. They use the equipment and ensure that safety standards are being followed. Aside from managing the equipment, they are also in charge of repairs and maintenance. They are responsible for ensuring that the machine works properly, troubleshooting if there are challenges encountered, and repairing any problems. Equipment operators are reliable, trustworthy, and attentive.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a crane operator are more likely to require skills like "cranes," "nccco," "lattice boom," and "crawler cranes." On the other hand, a job as an equipment operator requires skills like "loaders," "asphalt," "backhoe," and "hand tools." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Equipment operators really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $38,765. Comparatively, crane operators tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $69,187.On average, equipment operators reach similar levels of education than crane operators. Equipment operators are 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Crane operator vs. Forklift operator
Forklift operators are skilled workers responsible for operating heavy equipment machines called forklifts. They are in charge of operating forklifts, a type of industrial or heavy equipment truck/machine that moves materials from one place to another through prongs protruding from the machine. Forklift operators are responsible for loading and unloading cargo, operating the machine to ensure that the cargo reaches its destination, and complying with safety protocols. They are also in-charge of maintenance work on the machine and reporting any challenges or issues that may be encountered. Forklift operators must be physically fit and alert at all times.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real crane operator resumes. While crane operator responsibilities can utilize skills like "cranes," "nccco," "cdl," and "hoisting," forklift operators use skills like "pallets," "basic math," "electric pallet jack," and "sit-down forklift."
Forklift operators earn a lower average salary than crane operators. But forklift operators earn the highest pay in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $37,519. Additionally, crane operators earn the highest salaries in the energy with average pay of $69,187 annually.forklift operators earn similar levels of education than crane operators in general. They're 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Crane operator vs. Boom operator
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a crane operator is likely to be skilled in "cranes," "nccco," "osha," and "hoisting," while a typical boom operator is skilled in "customer service," "building materials," "dot," and "audio equipment."
Most boom operators achieve a similar degree level compared to crane operators. For example, they're 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Crane operator vs. Control tower operator
Types of crane operator
Updated January 8, 2025
