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Mobile & tower cranes
Crane Operator
Very high pay for a job where one mistake is catastrophic.
Typical pay
$60k-$130k
How you get in
Apprenticeship or crane school plus NCCCO certification
Outlook
Strong with infrastructure and commercial construction
Crane operators lift and place loads on construction and industrial sites. NCCCO certification is the gate, and tower and large mobile crane operators are among the highest-paid people on any job site.
A day in the life
- 5:30aWalk-around inspection and load chart review
- 6:30aClimb the tower or set outriggers and level the machine
- 7:00aFirst picks — steel, concrete, material to the deck
- 11:30aLunch, usually taken in the cab
- 12:00pAfternoon picks, watching wind and load radius
- 3:30pSecure the crane, complete the inspection log
How to get in
Union apprenticeship (IUOE)
Duration
3-4 years
Cost
$0 — paid while you train
Credential
Journeyman operator plus NCCCO certification
- Apply to an Operating Engineers local
- Rotate through equipment during paid apprenticeship
- Earn NCCCO certification for the crane classes you want to run
- Tower and large mobile certifications pay the most
Crane school
Duration
3-8 weeks
Cost
$5,000-$20,000
Credential
NCCCO certification
- Complete a crane operator training school
- Pass NCCCO written and practical exams for your crane type
- Get a CDL, which most employers require
- Start on smaller cranes and build documented hours
Oiler or rigger into the seat
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$500-$5,000
Credential
Rigger and signalperson certification, then NCCCO
- Start as an oiler, rigger or signalperson on a crane crew
- Learn load charts, rigging and signaling from the ground
- Get seat time under supervision
- Test for NCCCO once you have real hours behind the controls
What people love
- · Among the highest-paid positions on a construction site
- · Union scale and pension
- · Seated work compared to most trades
- · Certification is portable nationwide
What wears people down
- · Total responsibility — a dropped load can kill someone
- · Long climbs and hours alone in a cab
- · Weather stops work and pay
- · Certification testing is demanding and must be renewed