Gantry crane operator vs yard crane operator

The differences between gantry 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 gantry crane operator and a yard crane operator. Additionally, a yard crane operator has an average salary of $43,991, which is higher than the $43,216 average annual salary of a gantry crane operator.

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

Gantry crane operator vs yard crane operator overview

	Gantry Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$43,216	$43,991
Hourly rate	$20.78	$21.15
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	30,035	33,817
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 62%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Gantry crane operator vs yard crane operator salary

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

	Gantry Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Average salary	$43,216	$43,991
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $69,000	Between $27,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between gantry crane operator and yard crane operator education

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

	Gantry Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 62%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Gantry crane operator vs yard crane operator demographics

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

	Gantry Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8%	Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 0.7% White, 65.5% 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 gantry crane operator and yard crane operator duties and responsibilities

Gantry crane operator example responsibilities.

Crane leading involve finding and marking up schedule numbers onto hot slabs for the overhead cranes to dig out and move.
Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
Follow all safety procedures during all crane operations.
Set aluminum panels to pour concrete foundation.

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.

Gantry crane operator vs yard crane operator skills

Common gantry crane operator skills

Gantry, 69%
Cranes, 21%
RAN, 5%
Load Trucks, 5%

Common yard crane operator skills

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

Gantry Crane Operator vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Gantry Crane Operator
Gantry Crane Operator vs Yard Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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