Overhead crane operator vs gantry crane operator

The differences between overhead crane operators and gantry 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 an overhead crane operator and a gantry crane operator. Additionally, a gantry crane operator has an average salary of $43,216, which is higher than the $34,797 average annual salary of an overhead crane operator.

The top three skills for an overhead crane operator include cranes, overhead cranes and determines safety. The most important skills for a gantry crane operator are gantry, cranes, and RAN.

Overhead crane operator vs gantry crane operator overview

	Overhead Crane Operator	Gantry Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$34,797	$43,216
Hourly rate	$16.73	$20.78
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	39,211	30,035
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Overhead crane operator vs gantry crane operator salary

Overhead crane operators and gantry crane operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Overhead Crane Operator	Gantry Crane Operator
Average salary	$34,797	$43,216
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	Rome, NY	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Olympic Steel	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between overhead crane operator and gantry crane operator education

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

	Overhead Crane Operator	Gantry Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Overhead crane operator vs gantry crane operator demographics

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

	Overhead Crane Operator	Gantry Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%	Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 0.7% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	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%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between overhead crane operator and gantry crane operator duties and responsibilities

Overhead crane operator example responsibilities.

Operate traveling overhead crane to lift, move, and position loads of raw steel material using a hook hoisting attachment.
Loaded/Unload trucks safely using overhead cranes and/or mobile equipment.
Certify crane operator and heavy equipment operator NCCCO certify TWIC certify MSHA training course
Operate TLL to hang pipe, values and other material in racks for site construction.
Operate hydraulic and lattice cranes, crane assembly and disassembly, oiling, rigging, and signaling.
Operate 60 ton rough terrain , 165 ton link-belt, and 175 ton 777 Manitowoc.Forrest``ken"Haley

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.

Overhead crane operator vs gantry crane operator skills

Common overhead crane operator skills

Cranes, 19%
Overhead Cranes, 9%
Determines Safety, 9%
Steel Coils, 7%
Hoisting, 6%
Tape Measure, 4%

Common gantry crane operator skills

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

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Transportation Industry
Overhead Crane Operator
Overhead Crane Operator vs Gantry Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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