Woodyard crane operator vs tower crane operator

The differences between woodyard crane operators and tower 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 woodyard crane operator and a tower crane operator. Additionally, a woodyard crane operator has an average salary of $59,241, which is higher than the $44,595 average annual salary of a tower crane operator.

The top three skills for a woodyard crane operator include rail cars, safety procedures and routine maintenance. The most important skills for a tower crane operator are cranes, hoisting, and hand signals.

Woodyard crane operator vs tower crane operator overview

	Woodyard Crane Operator	Tower Crane Operator
Yearly salary	$59,241	$44,595
Hourly rate	$28.48	$21.44
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	26,210	30,816
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 71%	High School Diploma, 47%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Woodyard crane operator vs tower crane operator salary

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

	Woodyard Crane Operator	Tower Crane Operator
Average salary	$59,241	$44,595
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $110,000	Between $26,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between woodyard crane operator and tower crane operator education

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

	Woodyard Crane Operator	Tower Crane Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 71%	High School Diploma, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Woodyard crane operator vs tower crane operator demographics

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

	Woodyard Crane Operator	Tower Crane Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%	Male, 99.3% Female, 0.7%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 0.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between woodyard crane operator and tower crane 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.

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.

Woodyard crane operator vs tower crane operator skills

Common woodyard crane operator skills

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

Common tower crane operator skills

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

Woodyard Crane Operator vs. similar jobs

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Woodyard Crane Operator
Woodyard Crane Operator vs Tower Crane Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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