Yard crane operator vs marine tower operator

The differences between yard crane operators and marine tower 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 marine tower operator. Additionally, a marine tower operator has an average salary of $48,234, which is higher than the $43,991 average annual salary of a yard crane operator.

The top three skills for a yard crane operator include cranes, hoisting and yard operations. The most important skills for a marine tower operator are logistics, coast guard, and .

Yard crane operator vs marine tower operator overview

	Yard Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Yearly salary	$43,991	$48,234
Hourly rate	$21.15	$23.19
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	33,817	37,427
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Yard crane operator vs marine tower operator salary

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

	Yard Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Average salary	$43,991	$48,234
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $71,000	Between $24,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between yard crane operator and marine tower operator education

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

	Yard Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Yard crane operator vs marine tower operator demographics

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

	Yard Crane Operator	Marine Tower Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4%	Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 0.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between yard crane operator and marine tower 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.

Marine tower operator example responsibilities.

Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
Work closely with IAD ATCT and airlines to coordinate safe and efficient gate and non-movement area transitions.

Yard crane operator vs marine tower operator skills

Common yard crane operator skills

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

Common marine tower operator skills

Logistics, 65%
Coast Guard, 35%

Yard Crane Operator vs. similar jobs

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Yard Crane Operator
Yard Crane Operator vs Marine Tower Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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