Crane and tower operators
SOC Code: 53-7021
Crane and tower operators carries a 29% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $66,370 and +3.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 42,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 29% AI exposure, Crane and tower operators sits 8 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 26% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
63/100
Crane and tower operators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C+ $66,370
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C- +3.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B 29% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Crane and tower operators in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Crane and tower operators keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Crane and tower operators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Crane and tower operators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
29% Lower than most lower than 74% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Crane and tower operators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Crane and tower operators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Crane and tower operators's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 53-7021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Crane and tower operators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Crane and tower operators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
- 2. Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
- 3. Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
- 4. Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
- 5. Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.
- 6. Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary.
- 7. Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.
- 8. Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements, and remove and batch packaging tickets.
- 9. Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions.
- 10. Direct truck drivers backing vehicles into loading bays and cover, uncover, or secure loads for delivery.
Key Skills Required
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Transportation
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Building and Construction
- Education and Training
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
- Engineering and Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Crane and tower operators?
Crane and tower operators has an AI exposure score of 29%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Crane and tower operators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Crane and tower operators is projected to grow by 3.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 42,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Crane and tower operators?
Key skills for Crane and tower operators include Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Crane and tower operators earn?
The median annual wage for Crane and tower operators is $66,370, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Crane and tower operators?
The typical entry-level education for Crane and tower operators is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect Less than 5 years of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Crane and tower operators?
Crane and tower operators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Crane and tower operators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (29% here).
- Biochemists and biophysicists · AI exposure 29%
- Construction managers · AI exposure 29%
- Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay · AI exposure 29%
- Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators · AI exposure 29%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+3.0% here).
- Business operations specialists, all other · growth +3.0%
- Cardiovascular technologists and technicians · growth +3.0%
- Compliance officers · growth +3.0%
- Court, municipal, and license clerks · growth +3.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 28 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Crane and tower operators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Crane and tower operators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).