Tower crane operator vs yard crane operator

The differences between tower 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 tower crane operator and a yard crane operator. Additionally, a tower crane operator has an average salary of $44,595, which is higher than the $43,991 average annual salary of a yard crane operator.

The top three skills for a tower crane operator include cranes, hoisting and hand signals. The most important skills for a yard crane operator are cranes, hoisting, and yard operations.

Tower crane operator vs yard crane operator overview

	Tower Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$44,595	$43,991
Hourly rate	$21.44	$21.15
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	30,816	33,817
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 62%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Tower crane operator vs yard crane operator salary

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

	Tower Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Average salary	$44,595	$43,991
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $73,000	Between $27,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between tower crane operator and yard crane operator education

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

	Tower Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 62%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Tower crane operator vs yard crane operator demographics

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

	Tower Crane Operator	Yard Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 99.3% Female, 0.7%	Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 0.7% White, 65.3% 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 tower crane operator and yard crane operator duties and responsibilities

Tower crane operator example responsibilities.

Train and supervise other employees to achieve significant improvements in their crane operating productivity.
Inspect mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, grappling devices, and lifting accessories in order to prevent malfunctions and damage.
Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
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.

Tower crane operator vs yard crane operator skills

Common tower crane operator skills

Cranes, 55%
Hoisting, 25%
Hand Signals, 8%
Pulleys, 4%
Construction Materials, 4%
Building Materials, 3%

Common yard crane operator skills

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

Tower Crane Operator vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Tower Crane Operator
Tower Crane Operator vs Yard Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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