Crane technician
About this occupation
Crane technicians assemble industrial and harbor cranes components. They install conveyors and controls. Crane technicians perform the final assembly on site and maintain and repair cranes.
Essential skills and knowledge
- read standard blueprints
- follow safety procedures when working at heights
- mechanics
- inspect crane equipment
- interpret 2D plans
- set up crane
- repair crane equipment
- secure crane
- conduct routine machinery checks
- interpret 3D plans
- maintain crane equipment
- blueprints
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Millwrights (O*NET 49-9044.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Replace defective parts of machine, or adjust clearances and alignment of moving parts.
- Align machines or equipment, using hoists, jacks, hand tools, squares, rules, micrometers, lasers, or plumb bobs.
- Insert shims, adjust tension on nuts and bolts, or position parts, using hand tools and measuring instruments, to set specified clearances between moving and stationary parts.
- Signal crane operator to lower basic assembly units to bedplate, and align unit to centerline.
- Conduct preventative maintenance and repair, and lubricate machines and equipment.
- Assemble and install equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Installation, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Repairing
US median pay: US$65,700 a year (2025), 40,330 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalExtremely important (4.8)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (4.4)
- WoodworkO*NET: Building and ConstructionVery important (4.2)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.4)
- Design and TechnologyO*NET: Design + Engineering and TechnologyImportant (3.4)
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignImportant (3.3)
- PhysicsO*NET: PhysicsImportant (3.2)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
- Boilermakers
- Machinists
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.