Crane and Tower Operators
Also called: Crane Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator, Mobile Crane Operator, Overhead Crane OperatorOperate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
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What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 10 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 4.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 41% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,790 | $44,750 to $74,150 | 1,280 |
| Alaska | $92,490 | $81,930 to $96,740 | 50 |
| Arizona | $67,350 | $58,460 to $79,550 | 930 |
| Arkansas | $41,600 | $37,000 to $46,060 | 880 |
| California | $79,570 | $66,620 to $100,860 | 2,130 |
| Colorado | $77,120 | $65,500 to $79,040 | 470 |
| Connecticut | $81,360 | $55,230 to $97,750 | 220 |
| Delaware | $60,160 | $58,620 to $60,760 | 220 |
| Florida | $71,560 | $58,950 to $81,120 | 2,570 |
| Georgia | $62,050 | $48,940 to $75,340 | 1,370 |
| Guam | $58,140 | $53,670 to $68,360 | 50 |
| Hawaii | $124,260 | $118,140 to $127,820 | 190 |
| Idaho | $52,770 | $49,220 to $78,320 | not published |
| Illinois | $61,820 | $46,170 to $83,030 | 1,220 |
| Indiana | $52,950 | $40,450 to $66,070 | 2,300 |
| Iowa | $67,600 | $55,910 to $81,130 | 650 |
| Kansas | $77,100 | $59,410 to $86,910 | 780 |
| Kentucky | $62,000 | $45,830 to $80,040 | 640 |
| Louisiana | $61,170 | $52,100 to $75,940 | 1,930 |
| Maine | $65,690 | $49,200 to $77,460 | 360 |
| Maryland | $87,950 | $73,240 to $87,950 | not published |
| Massachusetts | $98,150 | $76,610 to $129,790 | 680 |
| Michigan | $59,740 | $49,480 to $88,710 | 1,310 |
| Minnesota | $80,930 | $58,210 to $114,480 | 370 |
| Mississippi | $61,260 | $40,280 to $64,860 | 550 |
| Missouri | $58,450 | $41,210 to $81,740 | 630 |
| Montana | $82,800 | $74,170 to $95,840 | 30 |
| Nebraska | $60,720 | $46,970 to $77,500 | 410 |
| Nevada | $115,840 | $100,280 to $135,000 | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $63,310 | $52,760 to $75,180 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $100,640 | $90,020 to $124,700 | 1,000 |
| New Mexico | $62,400 | $61,630 to $67,280 | 290 |
| New York | $85,850 | $70,110 to $126,050 | 1,150 |
| North Carolina | $64,480 | $55,070 to $77,670 | 1,050 |
| North Dakota | $82,890 | $70,880 to $89,920 | 180 |
| Ohio | $57,620 | $46,790 to $75,190 | 1,780 |
| Oklahoma | $63,590 | $54,080 to $78,160 | 620 |
| Oregon | $83,260 | $63,190 to $122,500 | 340 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,190 | $53,770 to $75,070 | 1,630 |
| Rhode Island | $104,340 | $76,610 to $127,210 | not published |
| South Carolina | $64,120 | $48,100 to $80,880 | 720 |
| South Dakota | $71,000 | $61,080 to $77,450 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $59,410 | $45,910 to $78,920 | 660 |
| Texas | $73,280 | $57,020 to $79,880 | 6,010 |
| Utah | $67,410 | $50,340 to $79,970 | 440 |
| Vermont | $72,760 | $65,050 to $78,120 | 170 |
| Virginia | $66,600 | $54,770 to $77,630 | 1,120 |
| Washington | $101,110 | $79,150 to $124,520 | 1,030 |
| West Virginia | $54,830 | $39,720 to $59,810 | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $67,720 | $53,530 to $85,110 | 440 |
| Wyoming | $77,970 | $70,590 to $91,880 | 230 |
Nationally: $68,080. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on none of its 10 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage. | Not published |
| Not much | Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed. | Not published |
| Not rated | Inspect crane site conditions to determine ground stability. | Not published |
See all 11 tasks
| Not much | Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct truck drivers backing vehicles into loading bays and cover, uncover, or secure loads for delivery. | Not published |
| Not much | Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements, and remove and batch packaging tickets. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 11 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 11 tasks fall under 13 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas |
Show all 13 activities
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for crane and tower operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 8,394 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists High +18.5% 4%
- 4 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Low +3.0% 4%
- 5 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 8,018 moves in
- 1 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 7%
- 2 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Low +3.0% 5%
- 4 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 5%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 8% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 61% postsecondary certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 29 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 10% less than high school
- 53% high school
- 23% some college
- 10% associate's
- 3% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 629 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation and Mobil Crane Operator/Operation.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
66.3% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 5.8% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 32.2% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (TRUCK CRANE OPERATOR (Alternate Title: Crane Operator); TRUCK CRANE OPERATOR (Alternate Title: Crane Operator)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Crane and Tower Operators” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/53-7021.00