Job search tips to help you become a crane technician
May 6, 2025
How to Become a Crane Technician: A Step-by-Step Guide
Where To Start
Looking to become a crane technician in Ontario? You're not alone! We found that many online resources confuse crane technicians with crane operators, but they're very different roles. This article fills the gap by showing you the education, skills, and experience needed to start your crane tech career.
What Does A Crane Technician Do?
A crane technician specializes in inspecting, maintaining, and repairing cranes across industries. Service work, which involves troubleshooting and fixing malfunctioning cranes, is a key challenge in the role. For more on what the job looks like, check out our Day in the Life article.
The paths to becoming a crane technician vary as well. Some people start an apprenticeship right after high school, while others—generally seasoned tradespeople—switch careers midstream. Here is a description of the education, experience, skills and values that will help you find a job as a crane technician.
Education: The Basics
Like many skilled trades, there is no formal education required to start your career as a crane technician other than a high school diploma. However, in order to prove competency, most technicians become licensed electricians, millwrights or heavy duty equipment technicians. In fact, having one of these licenses may be a prerequisite listed on crane technician job postings. Forklift, aerial lift, welding and first aid certifications may also give you a leg up on the competition.
Experience: Get Hands-On
No specific experience is required to be a crane technician, but you’ll be expected to demonstrate that you’ve worked with machines and have troubleshooting skills. Have you rebuilt a small block Chevy? Have you built a custom home theater or wired a home automation system? Do you have a passion for radio controlled planes or cars? Do you binge watch How It's Made on the Discovery Channel? These are good indicators that you have the right stuff to be a crane tech—now it’s just a matter of connecting your experience as a backyard mechanic or DIY electrician to the skills required of a crane tech so you can turn your hobby into a day job.
Key Skills: What You’ll Need
Core Values: The Right Attitude
Education, experience and skills may get you hired as a crane technician, but succeeding in your career is as much about who you are—the values that make you a trustworthy, reliable person who does the right thing—as it is about what you know. Crane technicians must have integrity, a safety-first mentality and be team-oriented. The best ones are good leaders
Whether you’re curious about what it takes to become a crane technician, unsure which certifications you need, or just want to know what a typical day on the job looks like — we’re here for it. No bots, no corporate jargon. Just real advice from people who’ve been there (and still are).
