Heavy Truck Drivers vs Crane & Tower Operators
Median pay is about $9k higher for Crane & Tower Operators. The usual entry education is postsecondary plus CDL for Heavy Truck Drivers and high school for Crane & Tower Operators.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Heavy Truck Drivers | Crane & Tower Operators |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $58,640 | $68,080, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $47,960 | $52,600, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $69,120 | $83,200, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +3.8% Growing | +3.8% Growing |
| Openings a year | 214,500 | 3,500 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Postsecondary plus CDL | High school |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.2 / 5 | 2.4 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | High |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 54th pct | 57th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Heavy Truck Drivers
- Writing
Only Crane & Tower Operators
- Active Learning
Both lean on monitoring, reading comprehension, speaking, critical thinking, active listening.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.