Crane and Tower Operators
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
- O*NET-SOC code
53-7021.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$68,080
Employment, U.S.42,890
Median hourly wage$32.73
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $42,640 | $52,600 | $68,080 | $83,200 | $103,570 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,280 | $60,790 | 2.19 |
| Alaska | 50 | $92,490 | 0.58 |
| Arizona | 930 | $67,350 | 1.04 |
| Arkansas | 880 | $41,600 | 2.45 |
| California | 2,130 | $79,570 | 0.42 |
| Colorado | 470 | $77,120 | 0.59 |
| Connecticut | 220 | $81,360 | 0.46 |
| Delaware | 220 | $60,160 | 1.63 |
| Florida | 2,570 | $71,560 | 0.94 |
| Georgia | 1,370 | $62,050 | 1.02 |
| Hawaii | 190 | $124,260 | 1.10 |
| Idaho | $52,770 | ||
| Illinois | 1,220 | $61,820 | 0.73 |
| Indiana | 2,300 | $52,950 | 2.60 |
| Iowa | 650 | $67,600 | 1.52 |
| Kansas | 780 | $77,100 | 1.96 |
| Kentucky | 640 | $62,000 | 1.17 |
| Louisiana | 1,930 | $61,170 | 3.61 |
| Maine | 360 | $65,690 | 2.03 |
| Maryland | $87,950 | ||
| Massachusetts | 680 | $98,150 | 0.68 |
| Michigan | 1,310 | $59,740 | 1.08 |
| Minnesota | 370 | $80,930 | 0.45 |
| Mississippi | 550 | $61,260 | 1.72 |
| Missouri | 630 | $58,450 | 0.77 |
| Montana | 30 | $82,800 | 0.25 |
| Nebraska | 410 | $60,720 | 1.44 |
| Nevada | 380 | $115,840 | 0.89 |
| New Hampshire | 170 | $63,310 | 0.91 |
| New Jersey | 1,000 | $100,640 | 0.84 |
| New Mexico | 290 | $62,400 | 1.23 |
| New York | 1,150 | $85,850 | 0.43 |
| North Carolina | 1,050 | $64,480 | 0.77 |
| North Dakota | 180 | $82,890 | 1.49 |
| Ohio | 1,780 | $57,620 | 1.16 |
| Oklahoma | 620 | $63,590 | 1.31 |
| Oregon | 340 | $83,260 | 0.63 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,630 | $65,190 | 0.97 |
| Rhode Island | $104,340 | ||
| South Carolina | 720 | $64,120 | 1.13 |
| South Dakota | 120 | $71,000 | 0.95 |
| Tennessee | 660 | $59,410 | 0.73 |
| Texas | 6,010 | $73,280 | 1.55 |
| Utah | 440 | $67,410 | 0.91 |
| Vermont | 170 | $72,760 | 2.05 |
| Virginia | 1,120 | $66,600 | 0.99 |
| Washington | 1,030 | $101,110 | 1.05 |
| West Virginia | 170 | $54,830 | 0.90 |
| Wisconsin | 440 | $67,720 | 0.54 |
| Wyoming | 230 | $77,970 | 3.01 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 1-2 | 0.975 |
| 2 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 1-2 | 0.973 |
| 3 | Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | 1-2 | 0.971 |
| 4 | Hoist and Winch Operators | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 5 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 6 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 7 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 8 | Locomotive Engineers | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 9 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1-2 | 0.962 |
| 10 | Dredge Operators | 1-2 | 0.961 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Crane and Tower Operators, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | Equipment Selection | 0.88 | 0.975 |
| Locomotive Engineers | Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.964 |
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | Complex Problem Solving | 0.87 | 0.962 |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Quality Control Analysis | 1.00 | 0.951 |
| Rail Car Repairers | Repairing | 1.25 | 0.941 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Crane and Tower Operators, excluding software Crane and Tower Operators already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Global positioning system GPS software | 3 of 20 | 4.1x |
| SAP software | 4 of 20 | 0.7x |
| Email software | 3 of 20 | 0.5x |
| Web browser software | 4 of 20 | 0.4x |
| Microsoft Word | 12 of 20 | 0.7x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 5 of 20 | 0.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | 3.55 | 4.33 |
| Mathematics | 3.00 | 2.91 |
| Transportation | 2.93 | 3.42 |
| English Language | 2.91 | 2.42 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.77 | 3.00 |
| Building and Construction | 2.71 | 2.94 |
| Education and Training | 2.60 | 2.90 |
| Production and Processing | 2.55 | 2.47 |
| Administration and Management | 2.46 | 2.42 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.40 | 2.94 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.35 | 2.49 |
| Physics | 2.32 | 2.77 |
| Design | 2.32 | 2.75 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.21 | 2.58 |
| Telecommunications | 2.16 | 1.53 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.05 | 1.50 |
| Administrative | 1.92 | 1.83 |
| Communications and Media | 1.85 | 1.63 |
| Psychology | 1.71 | 1.54 |
| Law and Government | 1.68 | 1.38 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.57 | 1.03 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.52 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.51 | 1.03 |
| Geography | 1.48 | 1.14 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.48 | 0.85 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.42 | 0.78 |
| Foreign Language | 1.34 | 0.66 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.28 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.25 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.23 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.19 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.14 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.10 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Control Precision | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Depth Perception | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Far Vision | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Reaction Time | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Rate Control | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.62 | 2.88 |
| Response Orientation | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Near Vision | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Oral Expression | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.12 | 2.62 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Spatial Orientation | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Written Comprehension | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Written Expression | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Static Strength | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Sound Localization | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Originality | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Number Facility | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Stamina | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Crane operation control software
- Inventory tracking software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 300 | 12.82 | $57,230 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 330 | 6.23 | $74,200 |
| Decatur, AL | 100 | 6.07 | $45,640 |
| Mobile, AL | 260 | 5.55 | $65,510 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 240 | 5.26 | $73,050 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 560 | 4.92 | $66,680 |
| Midland, TX | 150 | 4.58 | $79,220 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 110 | 4.14 | $99,320 |
| Wichita, KS | 340 | 4.00 | $78,180 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 420 | 3.43 | $65,490 |