Moving heavy objects and materials is an essential task in many industries like construction, manufacturing and mining. Cranes are machines that lift and move large objects using suspended wires or chains and are commonly used in building and bridge construction. Formal education is not required to become a crane operator since necessary skills can be acquired through on-the-job experience.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average annual income of crane and tower crane operators was $50,040 in May 2011. This annual income figure is based on an average wage of $24.06 an hour and 2,080 hours of work per year. The top 10 percent of crane operators made more than $78,850 a year, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $28,680. Half of all workers in the occupation had annual incomes between $35,510 and $ 61,060.
Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Alaska was the highest paying state for crane operators in May 2011 and that workers in the state earned $77,800 a year on average. Average incomes in other top states included $73,270 in Washington, $71,490 in Nevada and $68,390 in Hawaii. Texas employed the most crane operators of any state, and workers in Texas made $46,830 a year on average.
Many sub-industries within the manufacturing and construction industries hire crane operators to assist with the moving of materials. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that crane operators working for specialty trade contractors made $59,040 a year on average in May 2011, workers involved in support activities for water transportation earned $58,660 on average and operators working in the iron and steel milling industries made $45,710 on average. Crane operators performing support activities for mining made $47,010 on average and operators engaged in nonresidential building construction earned $53,070 on average.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs for crane operators to grow 16 percent from 2010 to 2020, which is two percentage points higher than the national average for all jobs. Employment growth is likely to be driven by a recovery in the construction industry and increased need for crane operators at ports to load and unload cargo ships. The Bureau expects 31 percent job growth for crane operators in construction and 26 percent growth for crane operator jobs related to water transportation. Job prospects should be favorable for new workers due to stable job growth and a need to replace workers who leave the occupation to pursue other opportunities.
2016 Salary Information for Material Moving Machine Operators
Material moving machine operators earned a median annual salary of $34,530 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, material moving machine operators earned a 25th percentile salary of $28,210, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $42,810, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 681,900 people were employed in the U.S. as material moving machine operators.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Material Moving Machine Operators
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 53-7021 Crane and Tower Operators
- O*NET OnLine: Summary Report for: 53-7021.00 - Crane and Tower Operators
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Material Moving Machine Operators
- Career Trend: Material Moving Machine Operators
- tower crane image by Tammy Mobley from Fotolia.com