Building a Career in Heavy Lifting

On any construction project, they are literally the heavy lifters. The crane is an essential part of any big project, and it's where Curtis Smith of Milwaukee feels most comfortable. One day, it might be a freeway lift. Another day, he might head out to a job site to lift an air-conditioning unit onto a roof of a new building. "You have to have a lot of patience on the job," Smith said. "You have to lift stuff that has to go over buildings. This stuff is worth millions of dollars, and you have to do it right."

Smith, 44, works at Dawes Rigging and Crane Rental, and is a member of Local 139 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. A Milwaukee native, he graduated from Bay View High School and worked for Milwaukee County before deciding to change careers. He enrolled in the industrial engineering program at Milwaukee Area Technical College, and in 1998 he was accepted into the apprentice program with the union. "It took about 6,000 hours of work, or about three years, to become a journeyman," Smith said. "I learned how to run all types of heavy equipment, loaders, excavators, cranes, all kinds of things.

To be a crane operator, you first have to get accepted into an apprenticeship program. "You have to be willing to take on a challenge," Smith said. "You have to know some math, and you need to have great hand-to-eye coordination." And there's more. "You always have to keep up on training. It's highly recommended that you become a certified crane operator."

The average annual salary for crane and tower operators in Wisconsin was $40,920 in 2008, with entry-level wages at $27,690 and experienced operators earning an average of $47,540, according to the state Department of Workforce Development.

(MFW note: According to the US Department of Labor, there were 40,770 Crane and Tower Operators employed in the US in May 2009 with an average wage of $47,700. Minnesota ISEEK data indicates there were 416 Crane and tower operators employed in Minnesota in 2009.)

Material moving occupations require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree, according to the state Department of Workforce Development. Employees usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Don Walker, 6/27/2010