Bridge and Lock Tenders
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-6011
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 53-6011 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 45/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $57,700
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 400
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -3.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 422 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~28.6% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Bridge Operator, Bridge Tender, Lock Tender
Representative Tasks
- •Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges.
- •Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers.
- •Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces.
- •Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges.
- •Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Control pumps or pumping equipment.
- •Control equipment that regulates vehicle traffic.
- •Monitor surroundings to detect potential hazards.
- •Monitor vehicle movement or location.
- •Direct vehicle traffic.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Outlook | Average | 20% Bright |
| Median Salary | $57,700 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |