Steel crane operator vs bridge crane operator

The differences between steel crane operators and bridge 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 steel crane operator and a bridge crane operator. Additionally, a bridge crane operator has an average salary of $44,983, which is higher than the $38,900 average annual salary of a steel crane operator.

The top three skills for a steel crane operator include hand tools, customer orders and torches. The most important skills for a bridge crane operator are cranes, OSHA, and hoisting.

Steel crane operator vs bridge crane operator overview

	Steel Crane Operator	Bridge Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$38,900	$44,983
Hourly rate	$18.70	$21.63
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	30,309	30,861
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Steel crane operator vs bridge crane operator salary

Steel crane operators and bridge crane operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Steel Crane Operator	Bridge Crane Operator
Average salary	$38,900	$44,983
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $59,000	Between $27,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between steel crane operator and bridge crane operator education

There are a few differences between a steel crane operator and a bridge crane operator in terms of educational background:

	Steel Crane Operator	Bridge Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Steel crane operator vs bridge crane operator demographics

Here are the differences between steel crane operators' and bridge crane operators' demographics:

	Steel Crane Operator	Bridge Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 98.5% Female, 1.5%	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 0.7% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 0.7% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between steel crane operator and bridge crane operator duties and responsibilities

Steel crane operator example responsibilities.

Certify with Hilti nail guns and oxygen torches.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Operate Kone overhead cranes to offload railcars, load CTL line with steel coils and fix coil rows.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Bridge crane operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
Operate Kone overhead cranes to offload railcars, load CTL line with steel coils and fix coil rows.

Steel crane operator vs bridge crane operator skills

Common steel crane operator skills

Hand Tools, 76%
Customer Orders, 11%
Torches, 7%
CNC, 6%

Common bridge crane operator skills

Cranes, 34%
OSHA, 18%
Hoisting, 17%
Bulk Materials, 10%
Safety Checks, 7%
Position Loads, 6%

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Transportation Industry
Steel Crane Operator
Steel Crane Operator vs Bridge Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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