Mill crane operator vs heavy equipment operator

The differences between mill crane operators and heavy equipment 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 mill crane operator and a heavy equipment operator. Additionally, a mill crane operator has an average salary of $41,555, which is higher than the $39,822 average annual salary of a heavy equipment operator.

The top three skills for a mill crane operator include cranes, safety procedures and steel mill. The most important skills for a heavy equipment operator are loaders, backhoe, and CDL.

Mill crane operator vs heavy equipment operator overview

	Mill Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$41,555	$39,822
Hourly rate	$19.98	$19.15
Growth rate	7%	5%
Number of jobs	30,973	47,261
Job satisfaction	-	4.6
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	47	45
Years of experience	4	4

Mill crane operator vs heavy equipment operator salary

Mill crane operators and heavy equipment operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mill Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average salary	$41,555	$39,822
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $54,000	Between $27,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Moody's
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between mill crane operator and heavy equipment operator education

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

	Mill Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Mill crane operator vs heavy equipment operator demographics

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

	Mill Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average age	47	45
Gender ratio	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 0.7% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 0.9% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between mill crane operator and heavy equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Mill crane operator example responsibilities.

Experience operating boom cranes at various locations where maneuverability is restricted and accuracy is critical.
Operate a crane and drive a forklift on various lines.
Remove burs from cut ends of pipe.
Use RF scan to enter PO numbers for each product.
Hand hold RF to transfer items receive to proper location within the plant.
Manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients using GMP format and aseptic techniques.

Heavy equipment operator example responsibilities.

Manage and cross-train subordinates in several job-relate tasks while promoting leadership.
Operate trucks and equipment such as backhoe, dump trucks, front-end loader, hydraulic excavator, skid steers and bulldozers.
Operate heavy equipment including, but limit to, backhoe, excavators, bobcats, forklifts, trucks and wheel loaders.
Operate equipment used for construction purposes such as tankers, cranes, bulldozers, loaders, compost mixers and excavators.
Put down mulch cut grass, plant and dig up.
Work with asphalt, cut down trees, and dig trenches.

Mill crane operator vs heavy equipment operator skills

Common mill crane operator skills

Cranes, 76%
Safety Procedures, 19%
Steel Mill, 5%

Common heavy equipment operator skills

Loaders, 9%
Backhoe, 6%
CDL, 6%
Asphalt, 5%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Dump Truck, 5%

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Mill Crane Operator
Mill Crane Operator vs Heavy Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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