Crane and Tower Operators
Transportation and Material Moving
The work is running boom, cable, or tower equipment to lift and place materials, machines, or products. Before each lift, operators check weights against capacity, then use levers, pedals, or dials to pick up and set the load. They inspect cables and grappling devices for wear, replace cables as needed, and clean, lubricate, and repair pulleys and similar parts. They also review daily schedules, load or unload trucks, move containers into storage bins, and direct helpers placing blocking or outrigging. People who like precise machine control and careful judgments about weight and placement tend to fit this work.
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate (vocational/technical)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$68'080
Median Wage Market Position
$68'080
What you might do
- Swing boom cranes to lift and place loads
- Check load weights against lifting limits
- Inspect cables and replace worn ones
- Direct helpers setting outriggers under cranes
- Oil and clean cables, pulleys, and grapples
- Unload truck bundles into storage bins
Skills that matter
- Checking load weight against lifting capacity
- Using levers and pedals to place loads
- Inspection of cables and lifting accessories
- Directing helpers on blocking and outriggers
- Review of daily lift and delivery orders
- Lubrication and repair of pulleys and cables
AI & the future of this role
Lifting awkward loads in changing job sites still depends on spatial judgment, coordination, and liability-aware operation that remote systems may only partly match. Assistive automation could help with precision, yet skilled on-site control is likely to remain central.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details