How To Become A Mobile Crane Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a mobile crane operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a mobile crane operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.22 an hour? That's $42,053 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 56,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMobile Crane OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,053

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.50%

Asian 0.69%

Black or African American 9.85%

Hispanic or Latino 19.42%

Unknown 3.61%

White 64.93%

Gender

female 14.08%

male 85.92%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a mobile crane operator

Explore mobile crane operator education requirements

Most common mobile crane operator degrees

Bachelor's

32.7 %

High School Diploma

27.6 %

Associate

20.5 %

Start to develop specific mobile crane operator skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	21.00%
Cranes	17.04%
Safety Procedures	11.39%
General Supervision	10.37%
DOT	9.68%

Complete relevant mobile crane operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mobile crane operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mobile crane operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mobile crane operator resumes.

Research mobile crane operator duties and responsibilities

Place blocks and outriggers to prevent capsizing when lifting heavy loads.
Weld, torch cut, operate rigging (roughneck), and run mobile crane.
Experience crane repair, troubleshooting, rebuilding.Now expire NCCCO certification on large lattice, crawler, and large hydro.
Provide safe and efficient transportation for disable Marta customers.

Prepare your mobile crane operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mobile crane operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a mobile crane operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable mobile crane operator resume templates

Build a professional mobile crane operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your mobile crane operator resume.

Apply for mobile crane operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a mobile crane operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do mobile crane operators rate their job?

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Mobile crane operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

learn all about scrap metal side of it how to grade Steel from cast iron and #1 and #2 steel be good at what you do as a scrap handler operator be safe doing it right and getting job doing.

Cons

you have to be on look out for people and your work are safe come at a price