Short answer
Very unlikely. BLS rates crane operators among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do.
AI and jobs
Will AI Replace Crane Operators? (2026)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics places crane operators in its low AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +3.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 3,500 openings a year.
- BLS AI exposure
- LowBLS EP supplemental table
- AI-resilience score
- 76/100Higher than 100% of jobs · NueCareer
- Projected change
- +3.8%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
- Openings a year
- 3,500BLS EP 2025–2035
The federal measure
How exposed crane operators are to AI
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a relative AI exposure category for each occupation it projects, built from five public measures of where AI could be, or already is, used to assist with or complete the work. Crane Operators land in the low category: among the occupations least exposed to current AI.
Where this job sits on the BLS scale
786 occupations in the NueCareer bank, in BLS's four relative categories; width shows how many fall in each
- Low · this job203 occupations · 26%
- Moderate194 occupations · 25%
- High190 occupations · 24%
- Very high199 occupations · 25%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, AI exposure categories supplemental table.
- Exposure is relative. The categories rank occupations against each other; they are not a probability that a job is automated.
- BLS says exposure does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability or wage effects. A highly exposed job can still grow if AI makes the people in it more productive.
- The classification reflects AI capabilities as the underlying studies measured them. Read the BLS method and limitations.
Inside the work
What AI can and cannot do in this job
O*NET rates how important each work activity is to an occupation and how often each working condition comes up. The ratings below are the ones that move the job's NueCareer AI-resilience score the most: the ones that pull it up, and the ones that pull it down. Only ratings clearly above the midpoint count.
What holds up
Physical, hands-on and person-to-person work
- Handling and moving objects4.9/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Face-to-face discussions5.0/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Operating vehicles, mechanized devices, or equipment5.0/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Repairing and maintaining mechanical equipment4.2/5O*NET work activity, importance
What AI reaches first
Routine, repeatable and screen-based work
- Repetitive motions4.3/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Processing information3.6/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Repeating the same tasks3.8/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Time spent sitting4.2/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
The tasks O*NET lists for crane operators
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
- Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
- Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
- Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary.
- Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
- Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.
O*NET 31.0 Database task statements, most important first.
The jobs
Will there still be jobs?
Exposure says where AI meets the work. The BLS projection says what the labor market is expected to do over 2025–2035. BLS projects +3.8% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 3,500 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 42,890 people work in the job today, at a median of $68,080 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Full crane and tower operator profile: pay by state, entry route and skills
Questions
Will AI Replace Crane Operators? FAQ
Will AI replace crane operators?
Very unlikely. BLS rates crane operators among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do. BLS defines exposure as AI being able to assist with or complete some of the work, and says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains or wage effects. BLS projects employment to change by +3.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 3,500 openings a year.
How exposed are crane operators to AI?
BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Crane Operators are in the low category, alongside 202 other occupations. The categories combine five public measures of where AI could be or already is used, and they compare occupations with each other rather than giving an absolute risk.
What parts of a crane and tower operator's job can AI do?
In O*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are repetitive motions, processing information and repeating the same tasks. The parts that hold up best are handling and moving objects, face-to-face discussions and operating vehicles, mechanized devices, or equipment. These come from O*NET ratings of how important each activity is to the job, read through NueCareer's AI-resilience method.
Is being a crane and tower operator a safe career from AI?
On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, crane operators score 76 out of 100, higher than 100% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $68,080 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No job is fully safe from technological change, but the federal exposure category and the projected openings are the two numbers worth weighing.
The AI exposure category is the Bureau of Labor Statistics'. The AI-resilience score and the activity breakdown are NueCareer's analysis of O*NET 31.0 Database data (method), not a federal figure. More: jobs most exposed to AI, jobs least exposed to AI, or check any job.