Annual Salary
£20,000 to £37,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Design & planning or Property management or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Design & planning or Property management or go back to all job sectors
Crane drivers operate lifting machinery at construction sites, quarries, mining sites, ports and warehouses.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; away from home
There will be
0.2% more Crane driver jobs in 2027.
As a crane operator, you'll:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work on a construction site.
Your working environment may be at height and noisy.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college qualification like a Level 2 Certificate in Construction Plant Operations.
This would teach you how to operate different types of construction plant machinery. You could then apply to construction companies for a trainee position.
You'll usually need:
You could get into this job through a lifting technician intermediate apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You could start as a construction site labourer. Once you've got experience of using heavy plant machinery like excavators, you could do training on the job to move into crane operation.
You could apply directly and learn on the job under the supervision of an experienced crane driver. Some employers may ask for a few GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications.
You'll need to:
You may find it useful if you've got experience in construction, mechanical engineering or plant operations.
You can find more details about training and working as a crane driver from Go Construct.
With experience and further training you could:become a crane supervisor, signaller or slinger; specialise in operating heavy cranes; work on construction projects all over the world; get a manager job with responsibility for the day-to-day running of a site
You'll need: