Crane and Tower Operators build operation and control, operations monitoring and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Pile Driver Operators (85%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pile Driver Operators | 85% | $73,300 | +8% | None |
| 2 | Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 85% | $65,510 | −4% | None |
| 3 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 85% | $57,430 | −16% | None |
| 4 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 85% | $59,850 | −12% | None |
| 5 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 84% | $61,810 | −9% | None |
| 6 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 81% | $74,500 | +9% | None |
| 7 | Riggers | 80% | $62,640 | −8% | None |
| 8 | Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 78% | $60,850 | −11% | None |
| 9 | Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | 77% | $102,040Pay for the broader BLS group “Power Plant Operators” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 76% | $64,520 | −5% | None |
Compared with Crane and Tower Operators, median $68,080. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as crane and tower operators (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
85% skill match · $73,300 · +8% pay
Systems Analysis · Equipment Maintenance · Quality Control Analysis
85% skill match · $65,510 · −4% pay
Equipment Selection · Repairing · Troubleshooting
85% skill match · $57,430 · −16% pay
Equipment Selection · Persuasion · Systems Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Pile Driver Operators (85% skill match, median $73,300), Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines (85% skill match, median $65,510) and Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (85% skill match, median $57,430), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 12 pay more than crane and tower operators at the median. The biggest increases: Ship Engineers (+61%, $109,530), Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+40%, $95,320) and Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (+25%, $84,890).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.