Crane and Tower Operator
Crane and Tower Operator
Career Overview
Crane and tower operators operate cranes and lifting equipment to move, position, and place heavy materials, equipment, and structural components at construction, industrial, manufacturing, and other worksites. They follow lift plans, safety procedures, signals, and instructions to safely control loads and coordinate with other workers.
Education
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required. Most crane operators complete specialized crane-operation training, an apprenticeship, or industry certification before operating equipment independently. Depending on the type of crane and location, licensing or certification may also be required.
Future Outlook
Employment opportunities for crane and tower operators are expected to remain relatively steady, with demand supported by construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, transportation, and industrial activity. Opportunities can vary by industry and region, while new technologies and more efficient equipment may influence how the work is performed.
Work Environment
Crane operators work primarily at construction sites, industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, ports, and other large worksites. The work may be outdoors in changing weather and requires concentration, coordination, good spatial awareness, and careful attention to safety. Operators may work at considerable heights or around heavy equipment and loads.
Recommended High School Courses
- Communication
- Computer Applications
- Mathematics
- Construction safety
- Physical fitness
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
- Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Glare Sensitivity - The ability to see objects in the presence of glare or bright lighting.
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
- Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Response Orientation - The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Spatial Orientation - The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
- Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Weigh materials to ensure compliance with specifications.
- Verify information or specifications.
- Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
- Inspect material-moving equipment to detect problems.
- Maintain material moving equipment in good working condition.
- Install parts, assemblies, or attachments in transportation or material handling equipment.
- Direct material handling or moving activities.
- Clean machinery or equipment.
- Load shipments, belongings, or materials.
- Review work orders or schedules to determine operations or procedures.
- Secure cargo.
- Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
- Record operational or production data.
Schools
Accredited Safety Solutio...
Alaska Crane Consultants...
American Crane Training &...
American Equipment, Inc.
Ats Heavy Equipment Opera...
Crane Exam, Llc
Crane Inspection & Certif...
Crane Institute Of Americ...
Crane Operators Certifica...
Equipment Training Servic...
Heavy Equipment College O...
Herzog Construction, Llc
Lift Tech, Llc
Seid Crane Service, Inc.
Durham College- Whitby...
Fulford Certification
Northern Alberta Insti...
Northern Alberta Insti...
Operating Engineers Tr...
Southern Alberta Insti...
Potential Scholarships
5 Strong Scholarship
Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...
Curt Pozan Trades Scholar...
Approx Salary Expectation
Low End:
$43,000.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$68,000.00 /yr
High End:
$104,000.00 /yr
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.