The crane operator is responsible for lifting equipment, handling cranes, and transporting loads to construction sites. They use buttons, pedals, and levers to lift machinery. They are also responsible for lifting and removing loads attached to hoists. Sometimes they have to repair equipment as well.
Crane Operator
The crane operators’ equipment is specially meant for moving heavy materials from one place to another, either horizontally or vertically. Crane operators usually work in the mining, shipping, or construction industries. What will their job description, salary, and duty be described in this article?
The job description of crane operators defines that the company requires a crane operator to operate various types of cranes. The cranes may be traveling overhead or truck cranes. The operator must be aware of lever and pedal control and lead them to the work site. The crane must be operated under supervision and lift materials up and down with care and accuracy. The average base salary of crane operators is $62,130 per year, with an overtime offer of $7,500 per year. The entry-level salary is $57,465, which raises to $69,284 per year, with more than ten years of experience. The primary duty of the crane operator is to take care of machine safety, check it every day, set up and operate the crane, move stuff according to plan, and manage weights to be held by the cranes.
Crane Operator Job Description
The job description given by employers for hiring crane operators first mentions that they need dedicated and experienced crane operators to join their company. Then responsibilities of the crane operators are mentioned. The crane operators are supposed to lift, position, and move the weights from one spot to another.
The crane operators must be able to lift heavy weights by utilizing the crane’s levers, buttons, and pedals. They must be aware of all safety-based operations of the crane. The responsibility also extends to construction sites where they regularly inspect their cranes.
A highly experienced crane operator must set and uphold a benchmark of precision to carry on with his work in extreme weather conditions. He must be able to execute the crane functions according to instructions in spoken words, written form, or signals between the work.
In the end, the job description also describes the education requirements of the crane operators and then asks the appropriate candidates to send their applications for proceeding with the job hiring process.
Other requirements
- High school diploma
- Crane operator license/Certification
- Commercial driving license of class B
- Commercial driving license of class A
- Must possess some Industry experience
- Must know all relevant regulations and pass background, medical, and drug tests while applying for the job.
- Good in oral and written communication
- Must have skills to do daily and monthly inspections of the equipment.
Salary of Crane operators
The average base salary of crane operators is $62,130 per year, with an overtime offer of $7,500 per year. The entry-level salary is $57,465, which raises to $69,284 per year, with more than ten years of experience. These are average figures of wages, and the individual amounts may be 30%-45% higher than average figures or 10%-25% lower than average based on the location, education, and experience of the crane operators or the company size.
Top companies salaries
The salaries offered by the top companies are mentioned below:
- Circle 8 Crane Services gives its crane operators a salary of $122,016 per year based on the experience required by them.
- Borsheim Crane Service offers its crane employees an annual salary of $92,220, depending on their experience and workload.
- Allegiance Crane & Equipment has a salary of $91,785 per year to offer its crane operators.
- Lily Transportation Corp offers its crane operators an annual salary of $90,000.
- Koppers Railroad Structures gives $ 86,621 per year to its permanent crane operators.
Highest paying cities for Crane Operators in the United States
The highest paying cities for crane operators based on surveys of indeed are as follows:
- Atlanta, in the state of Georgia, offers, on average, a salary of $65,532 per year to crane operators. This result is based on 44 salaries featured in a survey of indeed.
- Portland city in the state of Oregon has an average salary of $64,961 per year based on 15 results.
- Houston, Texas, offers, on average, a salary of $63,730 per year to crane operators. This result is based on 98 salaries featured in a survey of indeed.
- Tampa, Florida, offers $62,125 per year based on 11 salaries reported in the survey.
- Midland, Texas, reported figures based on 14 results of $60,884 per year.
- Birmingham City of Alabama State offers $60,327 per year on average based on 17 salaries recorded.
- Odessa, Texas, showed figures of $58,699 per year, whereas Baytown, Texas, had figures of $57,698 per year based on 23 results.
Salary satisfaction
Based on 2,727 ratings, crane operators in the United States of America say that they are satisfied with their salaries as they are enough to cover their cost of living. This opinion was shared by 59% of the crane operators.
Duties of the Crane operators
Crane operators have the following duties:
Crane operators are supposed to check the machine for their safety every day. They must set up the cranes and operate them under the general supervision provided by the company.
The controls of the crane must be manipulated to control the speed of the crane and its direction to move the materials smoothly in the site as planned and told in written or verbal instructions by the company.
The operators must also know about repairing the crane if required and should be able to manage the weight and stability of the crane. If any issues appear or malfunction exists in any parts, supervisors must be informed immediately.
Conclusion
The job of the crane operator is a job that requires a lot of responsibility as you carry a lot of weights and loads from one place to another at the site of construction. Crane operators must be used to working in noisy conditions on-site. He must follow the general instructions provided by the company for the operation of a crane. Their duties require them to stay active while working and look for any issues in the machinery for informing them directly to the supervisors. The salaries offered to the operators are satisfying for them as they can cover their cost of living.
FAQ’s
1. How can you qualify for the job of a crane operator?
The basic requirements to become a crane operator include a High school diploma, crane operator license/certification, commercial driving license of class A, and good oral and written communication.
2. Are crane operators satisfied with their job?
Yes, most crane operators are satisfied with their job because their salaries are high enough to cover their cost of living.
3. What is the salary range of crane operators?
The crane operators are offered salaries between $62,130 per year to $122,016 per year, depending on their experience, location, and qualification.
