How To Become A Spotter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a spotter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Spotters are trained professionals that ensure that work procedures are completed successfully with no form of harm to the workers or damage of used equipment or property. They provide guidance to ensure work is completed in the safest possible way. A spotter makes workers aware of the various risks associated with their job and how to prevent them. A spotter stops a truck or a forklift driver from hitting people or objects while it is reversing. It is the responsibility of a spotter to pay attention to distances between equipment and power lines. In case of a threat, you are to alert the operator early enough to avoid accidents.

A GED or high school diploma is required. You must have completed a Spotter Training course. Additional safety certifications such as (HLTAID003 and HLTAID001) and work experience in a similar role can be added advantages. This is a sensitive role that requires a very detail-oriented person to spot any trace of unsafe work actions. Spotters earn as much as $18.12 per hour.

ScoreSpotterUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,482

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.9

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.53%

Asian 7.05%

Black or African American 10.95%

Hispanic or Latino 18.41%

Unknown 4.09%

White 57.98%

Gender

female 18.03%

male 81.97%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress Level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.8

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Spotter in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Key steps to become a spotter

Explore spotter education requirements

Most common spotter degrees

High School Diploma

42.8 %

Bachelor's

23.8 %

Associate

14.8 %

Start to develop specific spotter skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	15.03%
Safety Rules	13.47%
Safety Standards	9.86%
Equipment Operators	9.73%
DOT	9.22%

Complete relevant spotter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New spotters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a spotter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real spotter resumes.

Research spotter duties and responsibilities

Utilize industry tools such as backpack blowers, sweepers, and a variety of hand hold power equipment.
Company lose a few rail yards and let all Cdl drivers go
Patrol a``customer only"parking lot in busy downtown environment.
Used CCTV to continuesly monitor tenants, staff, and parking lot areas.

Prepare your spotter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your spotter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a spotter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Spotter Resume templates

Build a professional Spotter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Spotter resume.