Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Bridge and Lock Tenders
Occupation · SOC 53-6011.00
Operate and tend bridges, canal locks, and lighthouses to permit marine passage on inland waterways, near shores, and at danger points in waterway passages. May supervise such operations. Includes drawbridge operators, lock operators, and slip bridge operators.
Also called: Bridge Operator · Bridge Tender · Lock Tender · Bridge Crew Member · Bridge Leverman · Bridge Opener · Bridge Saw Operator · Bridgeman · Crossing Tender · Crossing Watchman · Dam Attendant · Dam Operator
Job family: Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-53-6011-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-3.3% by 2034)
- 300 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $58,490/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (94th); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (18th)
18th-percentile task overlap — yet about 300 openings a year (-3.3% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 31st | -0.6 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 31st | 0.3 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 0th | 0.0 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.3), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 1.0 · 94th percentile among occupations · High
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -3.3% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 300 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 2,900 → 2,800 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Bridge and Lock Tenders sits at the 25th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure rose from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
18% mean task exposure (2025)
25th percentile of 427 placed occupations
+1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Crane, hoist and related plant operators · 8343 | 18% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 18 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Turn valves to increase or decrease water levels in locks. Supplemental · importance 5.0
- Check that bridges are clear of vehicles and pedestrians prior to opening. Supplemental · importance 4.9
- Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges. Core · importance 4.9
- Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers. Core · importance 4.8
- Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces. Core · importance 4.8
- Raise drawbridges and observe passage of water traffic or lower drawbridges and raise automobile gates. Supplemental · importance 4.8
- Stop automobile and pedestrian traffic on bridges, and lower automobile gates prior to moving bridges. Supplemental · importance 4.8
- Maintain and guard stations in bridges to check waterways for boat traffic. Supplemental · importance 4.8
- Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges. Core · importance 4.7
- Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass. Core · importance 4.7
- Move levers to activate traffic signals, navigation lights, and alarms. Core · importance 4.6
- Clean and lubricate equipment, and make minor repairs and adjustments. Supplemental · importance 4.6
- Write and submit maintenance work requisitions. Core · importance 4.4
- Inspect canal and bridge equipment, and areas, such as roadbeds, for damage or defects, reporting problems to supervisors as necessary. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Log data, such as water levels and weather conditions. Core · importance 4.3
- Attach ropes or cable lines to bitts on lock decks or wharfs to secure vessels. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Prepare accident reports. Core · importance 4.1
- Perform maintenance duties, such as sweeping, painting, and yard work to keep facilities clean and in order. Core · importance 3.5
Work activities
- Control equipment that regulates vehicle traffic.
- Record operational details of travel.
- Direct vehicle traffic.
- Prepare accident or incident reports.
- Monitor vehicle movement or location.
- Monitor traffic signals.
- Report vehicle or equipment malfunctions.
- Clean machinery or equipment.
- Arrange maintenance activities.
- Clean facilities or work areas.
- Monitor surroundings to detect potential hazards.
- Control pumps or pumping equipment.
- Secure watercraft to docks, wharves or other vessels.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Public Safety and Security | 3.4 | |
| English Language | 3.3 | |
| Telecommunications | 3.0 | |
| Education and Training | 2.9 | |
| Transportation | 2.8 |
Essential skills
| Monitoring | 3.3 | |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | |
| Speaking | 3.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 | |
| Writing | 2.9 |
Abilities
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Near Vision | 3.3 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.1 | |
| Control Precision | 3.1 | |
| Far Vision | 3.1 | |
| Auditory Attention | 3.1 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.0 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.0 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.0 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.0 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.0 | |
| Reaction Time | 3.0 | |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.0 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.0 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.0 | |
| Written Comprehension | 2.9 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 2.9 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.9 | |
| Category Flexibility | 2.9 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.9 | |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.9 |
Transferable skills
| Coordination | 3.0 | |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | |
| Service Orientation | 2.9 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 | |
| Time Management | 2.9 | |
| Instructing | 2.8 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| Oracle PeopleSoft | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | Hot technology |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | Hot technology |
| Email software | Electronic mail software | |
| Virtual private networking VPN software | Network security or virtual private network VPN management software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 65.0% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 20.0% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 15.0% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.2 | |
| Conventional | 4.4 | |
| Enterprising | 2.6 | |
| Investigative | 2.4 | |
| Social | 1.8 |
Interest areas
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 3.9 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 2.9 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 2.7 | |
| Engineering | 2.2 | |
| Nature/Outdoors | 2.0 | |
| Protective Service | 1.9 | |
| Management/Administration | 1.6 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 3.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.6 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.2 | |
| Integrity | 1.9 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $32,690 |
| 25th percentile | $43,700 |
| Median (50th) | $58,490 |
| 75th percentile | $69,530 |
| 90th percentile | $74,400 |
| People employed | 2,720 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 360 | $47,080 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 2.76× | 360 |
Related occupations
Part of the Supply Chain & Transportation career cluster.
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers · 53-4022.00 Compare →
- Motorboat Operators · 53-5022.00 Compare →
- Hoist and Winch Operators · 53-7041.00 Compare →
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers · 53-4013.00 Compare →
- Locomotive Engineers · 53-4011.00 Compare →
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels · 53-5021.00 Compare →
- Crane and Tower Operators · 53-7021.00 Compare →
- Sailors and Marine Oilers · 53-5011.00 Compare →
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators · 53-7051.00 Compare →
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters · 53-4031.00 Compare →
- Highway Maintenance Workers · 47-4051.00 Compare →
- Ship Engineers · 53-5031.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Bridge and Lock Tenders — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 25th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Bridge and Lock Tenders show 18th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 300 annual U.S. openings
- Bridge and Lock Tenders rank in the 18th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.3%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $58,490, across about 2,720 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Bridge and Lock Tenders show 18th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 300 annual U.S. openings • Bridge and Lock Tenders rank in the 18th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 300 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.3%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $58,490, across about 2,720 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Bridge and Lock Tenders". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6011-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Bridge and Lock Tenders." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6011-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Bridge and Lock Tenders. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6011-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-53-6011-00,
title = {Bridge and Lock Tenders},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6011-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.