What is the salary and career path for a aerial lift operator?
There is no BLS occupation for aerial lift operators, so this figure is a residual approximation: they are counted within Material Moving Workers, All Other, SOC 53-7199 — a catch-all residual code that captures material-moving work not classified anywhere else — with an OEWS May 2025 median of $41,800 a year ($20.10 an hour), from $34,330 at the 10th percentile to $62,820 at the 90th. In reality most people who run aerial lifts are electricians, ironworkers, glaziers or painters whose pay comes from their own trade, so the residual figure understates what lift work is worth to a skilled tradesperson. BLS projects 4.3% growth for the residual code over 2024–2034 with about 3,100 openings a year. No licence exists; what is required is machine-specific operator training and familiarisation under ANSI A92.24 and OSHA 1926.453, with fall protection appropriate to the machine type.
- Aerial Lift Operators earn a national median $41,800/yr ($20.10/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 53-7199); the top 10% clear $62,820.
- The $41,800 figure comes from a residual catch-all code, Material Moving Workers, All Other (SOC 53-7199), and understates what a tradesperson who operates lifts earns.
- No licence exists; OSHA 1926.453 and ANSI A92.24 require documented operator training plus machine-specific familiarisation before running an unfamiliar model.
- The realistic career move is to pair lift operation with a trade or move into training and rental service, which is where the $62,820 top decile sits.
Career Path
How do you become an aerial lift operator?
Ground worker / lift-trained laborer
Spotting, moving machines and basic platform work after operator training; entry pay sits near the SOC 53-7199 10th percentile of $34,330.
Aerial lift operator
Running boom and scissor lifts across a job or facility, inspecting and positioning machines, around the $41,800 median for the residual code.
Skilled trades operator / equipment specialist
Operators who bring a trade — electrical, glazing, steel or painting — or run telehandlers and specialty machines earn toward the 75th percentile of $50,220.
Lift supervisor, trainer or rental service technician
Running lift programs, delivering ANSI A92 operator training or servicing rental fleets reaches the 90th percentile at $62,820.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays aerial lift operators the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 53-7199. National median: $41,800. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does aerial lift operator pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles aerial lift operators most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: aerial lift operators rank 4 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +4.3% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly aerial lift operators clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 53-7199 (aerial lift operators) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do aerial lift operators need?
Theory and practical training on mobile elevating work platforms plus machine-specific familiarisation before operating an unfamiliar model; employers must document both. See all state licences →
Site-access safety training; OSHA 1926.453 covers aerial lifts and 1926 subpart M covers the fall protection required in boom-supported platforms.
Operators frequently also run telehandlers and forklifts, which require separate evaluation and certification under OSHA 1910.178.
Moving machines between sites on trailers commonly requires a commercial licence depending on combined weight.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do aerial lift operators use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 53-7199
Salary Levers
How do aerial lift operators earn above the $41,800 BLS median?
Bringing a licensed trade into the basket
Electricians, glaziers and ironworkers who operate lifts are paid at trade scale, well above the $41,800 residual-code median
Multi-machine certification
Adding telehandler, forklift and specialty machine qualification moves earnings toward the $50,220 seventy-fifth percentile
Industrial and shutdown environments
Plant turnarounds and stadium or airport maintenance pay premiums over general commercial work
Becoming a trainer or rental service technician
Delivering ANSI A92 training or servicing lift fleets is what reaches the $62,820 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming an aerial lift operator worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 53-7199. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Aerial Lift Operator Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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