How to become a crane or Hoist operator
Official title: Crane/Hoist operator (excluding port)
Also called: Bridge/Gantry crane operator (non-port), Crane operator (bridge/gantry crane) (non-port), Crane operator (excluding port), Crane operator (floating crane), Crane operator (locomotive crane), Crane operator (mobile crane), Crane operator (stationary jib-crane), Crane operator (tower crane), Crawler crane operator, Drawbridge operator, Floating crane operator, Hoist operator (construction)
Crane/Hoist operator (excluding port) operates a crane mounted on wheels or crawler tracks which can be moved under its own power in any direction. He/she operates power-driven hoisting equipment, usually consisting of a mobile cage or platform, to raise and lower materials and workers employed on construction work. He/she loads or oversees the loading of the cage, platform or other device connected to hoist.
Main tasks
- Operating and monitoring stationary or mobile cranes by raising and lowering jibs and booms, to lift, move, position or place equipment and materials
- Operating and monitoring equipment for hoisting, lowering or raising workers and materials on construction sites
- Operating and monitoring cranes equipped with dredging attachments to dredge waterways and other areas
- Operating and monitoring cranes mounted on boats or barges to lift, move and place equipment and materials
How to become one
Crane/Hoist operator (excluding port) is required to pass the relevant crane operator course conducted by an accredited training provider or its equivalent.
Ways in
- Licence or registration: Crane/Hoist operator (excluding port) is required to pass the relevant crane operator course conducted by an accredited training provider or its equivalent.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $59,748 a year. The middle half earn $40,680 to $77,952 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Crane operator (on-site)
- Excavating/Trench digging machine operator
- Dredge operator
- Pile driver/drilling machine operator
- Tunnelling machine operator
- Fork lift truck operator
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Questions people ask
How do I become a crane or Hoist operator?
Crane/Hoist operator (excluding port) is required to pass the relevant crane operator course conducted by an accredited training provider or its equivalent.
How much does a crane or Hoist operator earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $59,748 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $40,680 to $77,952.
Will AI change the work of a crane or Hoist operator?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat): Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) 2024 (SSOC 2024 (definitions and index updated 2026-06-24)), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026