Home » Occupational Profiles » 72500 – Crane operators

Crane operators – 72500

Description

Crane operators operate cranes or draglines to lift, move, position or place machinery, equipment and other large objects at construction or industrial sites, ports, railway yards, surface mines and other similar locations. They are employed by construction, industrial, mining, cargo handling and railway companies. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Job Titles

  • Boom truck crane operator
  • Bridge crane operator
  • Climbing crane operator
  • Construction crane operator
  • Crane operator
  • Dragline crane operator
  • Gantry crane operator
  • Hoist operator (except underground mining)
  • Mobile crane operator
  • Tower crane operator
  • Tractor crane operator

Main Duties

  • Operate mobile and tower cranes to lift, move, position or place equipment and materials
  • Perform pre-operational inspection, and calculate crane capacities and weight to prepare for rigging and hoisting
  • Operate pile driving cranes to drive pilings into earth to provide support for buildings and other structures
  • Operate cranes equipped with dredging attachments to dredge waterways and other areas
  • Operate gantry cranes to load and unload ship cargo at port side
  • Operate locomotive cranes to move objects and materials at railway yards
  • Operate bridge or overhead cranes to lift, move and place plant machinery and materials
  • Operate offshore oil rig cranes to unload and reload supply vessels
  • Operate cranes mounted on boats or barges to lift, move and place equipment and materials
  • Operate dragline cranes to expose coal seams and ore deposits at open pit mines
  • May assemble tower cranes on site
  • Perform routine maintenance work such as cleaning and lubricating cranes.

Workplaces

  • Cargo handlers
  • Construction companies
  • Industrial companies
  • Mining companies
  • Railway companies

Skills

  • Operation and Control
  • Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment
  • Preventative Maintenance
  • Quality Control Testing
  • Troubleshooting

Abilities

  • Control of Settings
  • Depth Perception
  • Multi-Limb Coordination
  • Spatial Orientation
  • Far Vision

Personal Attributes

  • Adaptability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Collaboration
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Active Learning

Similar Occupations

  • Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (72021)
  • Heavy equipment operators (73400)
  • Underground production and development miners (83100)
Source: OaSIS

Employment Outlook

The employment outlook will be moderate for Crane operators (72500) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

  • Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
  • A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
  • There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Here are some key facts about Crane operators in Prince Edward Island:

  • Approximately 50 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
  • Crane operators mainly work in the following sectors:
    • Construction (NAICS 23): 71%
    • Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 21%
    • Other manufacturing (NAICS 313-316, 323-324, 326-327, 331, 334-335, 337, 339): 9%
  • 85% of crane operators work all year, while 15% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
  • The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
    • Men: more than 95% compared to 51% for all occupations
    • Women: less than 5% compared to 49% for all occupations
  • The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
    • no high school diploma: 17% compared to 11% for all occupations
    • high school diploma or equivalent: 17% compared to 28% for all occupations
    • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 67% compared to 11% for all occupations
    • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: n/a
    • bachelor’s degree: n/a
    • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
Source: Job Bank

Prevailing Wages

AREALOWMEDIANHIGH
PEI$16.00$23.25$50.00
Canada$23.50$36.00$50.00
Source: Labour Force Survey (2022)

Training

There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.

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