Yard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator

The differences between yard 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 yard crane operator and a heavy equipment operator. Additionally, a yard crane operator has an average salary of $43,991, which is higher than the $39,822 average annual salary of a heavy equipment operator.

The top three skills for a yard crane operator include cranes, hoisting and yard operations. The most important skills for a heavy equipment operator are loaders, backhoe, and CDL.

Yard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator overview

	Yard Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Yearly salary	$43,991	$39,822
Hourly rate	$21.15	$19.15
Growth rate	7%	5%
Number of jobs	33,817	47,261
Job satisfaction	-	4.6
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 62%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	47	45
Years of experience	4	4

Yard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator salary

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

	Yard Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average salary	$43,991	$39,822
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $71,000	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 yard crane operator and heavy equipment operator education

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

	Yard Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 62%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Yard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator demographics

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

	Yard Crane Operator	Heavy Equipment Operator
Average age	47	45
Gender ratio	Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
Race ratio	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%	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 yard crane operator and heavy equipment operator duties and responsibilities

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.

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.

Yard crane operator vs heavy equipment operator skills

Common yard crane operator skills

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

Common heavy equipment operator skills

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

Yard Crane Operator vs. similar jobs

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Yard Crane Operator
Yard Crane Operator vs Heavy Equipment Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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