Labor Market
U.S. Department of Labor Statistics
Employment of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators is projected to grow 16 percent from 2012 to 2022. Many of these operators work in the construction industry, whose projected fast growth will drive job growth in this occupation.
Employment of crane and tower operators is projected to grow 17 percent from 2012 to 2022. As global shipping increases, more of these operators will be needed at ports to load and unload large cargo ships. However, increasing automation at ports may moderate growth. Employment growth also will be driven by the recovery of the construction industry, in which many of these workers are employed. Employment of crane operators is projected to grow 40 percent in construction.
Employment projections for crane and construction equipment operators, 2012-22
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment 2012 | Projected Employment, 2022 | Change, 2012-2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||||
| SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program | ||||||
| Crane and tower operators | 53-7032 | 43,800 | 51,200 | 17%  |
7,400 | |
| Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators | 53-7032 | 50,700 | 58,900 | 8.2% |
8,200 | |
Wages
The median hourly wages for crane and tower operators and construction equipment operators in May 2022 are shown below:
- $29.23 per hour for crane and tower operators
- $23.22 per hour for construction equipment operators