Woodyard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator

The differences between woodyard 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 woodyard crane operator and a heavy equipment operator. Additionally, a woodyard crane operator has an average salary of $59,241, which is higher than the $39,822 average annual salary of a heavy equipment operator.

The top three skills for a woodyard crane operator include rail cars, safety procedures and routine maintenance. The most important skills for a heavy equipment operator are loaders, backhoe, and CDL.

Woodyard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator overview

	Woodyard Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$59,241	$39,822
Hourly rate	$28.48	$19.15
Growth rate	7%	5%
Number of jobs	26,210	47,261
Job satisfaction	-	4.6
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 71%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	47	45
Years of experience	4	4

Woodyard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator salary

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

	Woodyard Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average salary	$59,241	$39,822
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $110,000	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 woodyard crane operator and heavy equipment operator education

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

	Woodyard Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 71%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Woodyard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator demographics

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

	Woodyard 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, 6.7% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 0.7% White, 73.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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 woodyard crane operator and heavy equipment operator duties and responsibilities

Woodyard crane operator example responsibilities.

Train and experience in the operation of heavy equipment such as bulldozers and forklifts.
Keep track of all incoming materials in wood yard (chips, shavings, plytrim, and fuel).
Coordinate all safety efforts with management to meet or exceed requirements of client specifications and OSHA regulations.
Operate Allen Bradley screens for Stacker/Reclaimer.
Set aluminum panels to pour concrete foundation.

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.

Woodyard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator skills

Common woodyard crane operator skills

Rail Cars, 48%
Safety Procedures, 32%
Routine Maintenance, 20%

Common heavy equipment operator skills

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

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Woodyard Crane Operator
Woodyard Crane Operator vs Heavy Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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