How Much Do Crane Operators Make?

[ZomZom]

I work in downtown DC near the old Woodies department store building and there are two large cranes that I was watching just now. They are close enough that I think their booms could collide if they swung together at the wrong time.

This got me thinking about the difficulty of operating these giants. Just how much are these guys paid? And do they have to climb the entire way up to the cab or is there an elevator?

[mhendo]

I don't know the exact answer, especially for the US, but i remember when i was living in Vancouver about ten years ago, and i knew a guy who did construction. He said that the crane operators were the highest-paid guys on site, and that their official income was A Fucking Lot Of Money.

[Phlosphr]

I have a friend who works at a defense plant as a crane operator and he makes nearly $100 an hour.

[trupa]

Originally Posted by mhendo

...their official income was A Fucking Lot Of Money.

Band Name!

This is a cool question. I hope we get answers, and also on how one becomes a crane operator...

[GaryM]

I think you get your start with those machines you feed with quarters and try to pick up the stuffed toys!

[BobT]

The "American Salary and Wages Survey" I have access to gives a much lower figure for "Crane and Tower Operator"

Usually around $15-20/hour.

I would assume that a guy making $100/hour must have some special skills.

Or perhaps the job description encompasses several different aspects of the job.

[spingears]

Originally Posted by trupa

Band Name!
This is a cool question. I hope we get answers, and also on how one becomes a crane operator...

First learn how to operate construction machinery.
Second get a union job as a "rigger and operator."
Third bid for the lush crane operators job against all other contencers.
Fourth be very lucky.

[ccwaterback]

Nationally, the median wage for crane and tower operators is $3,030 per month ($17.47 per hour). Half of all crane and tower operators earn between $2,340 and $3,830 per month ($13.50 and $22.07 per hour).

Wages vary based on the operator's experience. Crane and tower operators who belong to a union generally receive higher wages. Also, pay is usually higher in large urban areas. Seasonal work may reduce overall earnings.

http://www.iseek.org/sv/13000.jsp?id=100054

[ccwaterback]

Whoops, and this too:

http://www.iseek.org/sv/46001.jsp?id=537021

[ccwaterback]

Me and my multiple posts.

Here's and interesting site on tower cranes. You can see they have an elevator to get to the top.

http://www.towercrane.com/tower_cran...ail_Select.htm

http://www.towercrane.com/K-10000_tower_crane_06_00.htm

[Danalan]

On the other side of all that money is this wonderful site, which illuminates the many dangers of this job.

[SmackFu]

I just noticed while looking something else up that Connecticut requires a special license for crane operators.

[pullin]

I ran a crane for about 6 months in 1981. It was a 35 ton pedestal crane on an offshore rig (near the Forties-C field in North Sea). IIRC I was paid about 14-15 per hour (usd). Doesn't sound like much, but with 12-hour workdays, 7-days/week (with OT) it added up to quite a good wage. Didn't get any training, the former crane driver for that shift was fired. I was standing nearby and got a battlefield promotion. It was actually pretty easy to learn. The only difficulty was compensating for the waves (and blind lifts really sucked; I never got used to them).
Sorry if this info is kinda dated.

[ltfire]

First hand info. My brother works a union job as a HEO (Heavy Equipment Operator) in New York. The chief perk of this job is that when he’s on site for eight hours, if the..let’s say backhoe..isn’t needed that day, he sleeps in the cab for eight hours.