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Crane and Tower Operators

$61.34K Median Salary 5K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 5.4% Job Growth

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About This Career

Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.

Reported Job Titles

Crane Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator, Machine Operator, Mobile Crane Operator, Overhead Crane Operator, Port Crane Operator, Scrap Crane Operator, Winchman, Woodyard Crane Operator

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Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Control Precision

Multilimb Coordination

Depth Perception

Far Vision

Rate Control

Reaction Time

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Problem Sensitivity

Manual Dexterity

Response Orientation

Selective Attention

Near Vision

Oral Expression

Oral Comprehension

Perceptual Speed

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Visual Color Discrimination

Visualization

Deductive Reasoning

Finger Dexterity

Glare Sensitivity

Information Ordering

Spatial Orientation

Time Sharing

Knowledge

Mechanical

Mathematics

Skills

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Critical Thinking

Active Listening

Monitoring

Judgment and Decision Making

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Time Management

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Office suite software

Operating system software

Inventory management software

Industrial control software

Tools

Lifting hooks

Below the hook device

Screwdrivers

Tower cranes

Track cranes

Demolition equipment kits

Earthmoving buckets or its parts or accessories

Blow torch

Hydraulic truck cranes

Force or torque sensors

Punches or nail sets or drifts

Pressure or steam cleaners

Tape measures

Wire cutters

Slings

Ratchets

All terrain cranes

Calipers

Shackle

Hoists

Drum grabs

Acoustic ear muffs or defenders

Jacks

Pullers

Rough terrain cranes

Jib crane

Forklifts

Touch screen monitors

Slip or groove joint pliers

Draglines

Blocks or pulleys

Impact wrenches

Pile drivers

Goggles

Specialty wrenches

Box end wrenches

Ear plugs

Sledge hammer

Wear testers

Tire pressure gauge

Linear position sensors

Safety harnesses or belts

Ball peen hammer

Track excavators

Rotary position sensors

Paint sprayers

Oil gun

Claw hammer

Floor or platform scales

Hazardous material protective apparel

Grapples

Tinners snips

Bridge cranes

Angle grinder

Two way radios

Anemometers

Pneumatic impact wrenches

Grease guns

Respirators

Bench vises

Pry bars

Safety glasses

Welding masks

Power drills

Turnbuckles

Demolition hammers

Open end wrenches

Adjustable wrenches

Wire brushes

Needlenose pliers

Abilities

Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 that there is a problem.
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.
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.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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.
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.
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.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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 a 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).
Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
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).

Knowledge

Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
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.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional

Tools

Lifting hooks: Cargo hooks
Below the hook device: Beam spreaders
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Tower cranes:
Track cranes: Overhead cranes
Demolition equipment kits: Iron balls; Overhaul balls
Earthmoving buckets or its parts or accessories: Crusher excavator buckets; Earthmover standard buckets; Rock buckets; Trencher excavator attachments
Blow torch: Underwater blow torches
Hydraulic truck cranes: Hydraulic booms
Force or torque sensors: Force transducers
Punches or nail sets or drifts: Mini punch sets
Pressure or steam cleaners: Pressure cleaners
Tape measures: Diameter tape measures
Wire cutters:
Slings: Rigging equipment
Ratchets: Ratchet sets
All terrain cranes: 10-ton crawlers; Self-propelled cranes
Calipers: Dial calipers; Digital calipers; Vernier calipers
Shackle: Shackles
Hoists: Hoisting equipment
Drum grabs: Barrel clamps
Acoustic ear muffs or defenders: Protective ear muffs
Jacks: Hydraulic jacks
Pullers: Comealongs
Rough terrain cranes: Rough-terrain cranes
Jib crane: Jib cranes
Forklifts:
Touch screen monitors: Interactive whiteboards
Slip or groove joint pliers: Slip joint pliers
Draglines: Crawler mounted draglines; Rock draglines; Walking draglines
Blocks or pulleys: Sheave blocks
Impact wrenches: Underwater impact wrenches
Pile drivers:
Goggles: Safety goggles
Specialty wrenches: Oil filter wrenches
Box end wrenches:
Ear plugs: Protective ear plugs
Sledge hammer: Steel sledge hammers
Wear testers: Tribometers
Tire pressure gauge: Tire pressure gauges
Linear position sensors: Linear variable differential transformers LVDT
Safety harnesses or belts: Climbing belts
Ball peen hammer: Ball peen hammers
Track excavators: Compact excavators; Hydraulic excavators; Tracked excavators
Rotary position sensors: Boom angle indicators
Paint sprayers: High volume low pressure HVLP spray guns; Low volume high pressure LVHP sprayers; Paint spray guns; Paint sprayguns
Oil gun: Oilers
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Floor or platform scales: Industrial floor scales
Hazardous material protective apparel: Personal protective suits
Grapples: Timber tongs
Tinners snips: Compound snips; Snips; Straight snips; Tin snips
Bridge cranes: Gantry cranes
Angle grinder: Cordless angle grinders
Two way radios:
Anemometers: Thermoanemometers
Pneumatic impact wrenches: Impact air wrenches; Pneumatic ratchets; Pneumatic wrenches
Grease guns:
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Bench vises: Vises
Pry bars:
Safety glasses: Protective safety glasses
Welding masks: Welding hoods
Power drills: Hand drills
Turnbuckles:
Demolition hammers: Hydraulic breakers
Open end wrenches: Adjustable open end wrenches
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
Wire brushes: Wire cleaning brushes
Needlenose pliers:

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