Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between front end loader operators and 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 front end loader operator and a crane operator. Additionally, a crane operator has an average salary of $54,275, which is higher than the $34,530 average annual salary of a front end loader operator.
The top three skills for a front end loader operator include front end loader, loaders and asphalt. The most important skills for a crane operator are cranes, NCCCO, and CDL.
| Front End Loader Operator | Crane Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $34,530 | $54,275 |
| Hourly rate | $16.60 | $26.09 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 84,188 | 34,918 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.67 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 59% | High School Diploma, 56% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A front-end loader operator is a heavy equipment operator who works in demolitions or road construction sites. To become a front end loader operator, one of the techniques that you must have along with many others, is to be able to operate heavy equipment. This indicates that you must be an experienced heavy equipment driver. You will control rubber-tired, tractor-type industrial vehicles that lift and move heavy materials from one location to another.
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.
Front end loader operators and crane operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Front End Loader Operator | Crane Operator | |
| Average salary | $34,530 | $54,275 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $35,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Clifton Park, NY | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Ball | Katerra |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a front end loader operator and a crane operator in terms of educational background:
| Front End Loader Operator | Crane Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 59% | High School Diploma, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between front end loader operators' and crane operators' demographics:
| Front End Loader Operator | Crane Operator | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.1% Female, 7.9% | Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.3% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 2% |