Also called: Bridge Tender, Movable Bridge Operator
Raises and lowers movable bridges to let boats pass, stopping road traffic below.
From a small booth on the bridge, you watch for a sailboat's radio call, lower the traffic gates, and open the bridge. Then you close it and get cars moving again. Some shifts are quiet, others nonstop.
Approximate BLS figures for bridge and lock tenders.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. A high school diploma plus on-the-job training in the bridge's controls, radio procedures and safety rules.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing slowly. Small occupation.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Many bridges are switching to remote operation from a central control room; few on-site jobs remain.
Age 18+. One way to start: Watch your city, county or state DOT job site for bridge tender openings
Classes: Physics, Electronics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-6011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.