SOC 53-7021 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Crane and Tower Operators wages by metro

National median annual wage

$68,080

10th percentile: $42,640
25th percentile: $52,600
Median: $68,080
75th percentile: $83,200
90th percentile: $103,570
Mean: $72,130

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 42,890.

That median is 33.5% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.

The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.

An electrician connecting a generator to a home electrical panel — An electrician at a home electrical panel. Photograph by editor B. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Crane and Tower Operators.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	Not available	$70,370	$131,690	$135,000
Worcester, MA	110	$71,240	$122,260	$141,070
Urban Honolulu, HI	170	$96,640	$120,560	$132,450
Kennewick-Richland, WA	40	$78,000	$120,310	$128,690
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	70	$82,230	$116,840	$129,270
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	570	$63,320	$114,330	$135,210
Reno, NV	Not available	$60,460	$101,160	$119,660
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	1,500	$67,220	$100,640	$148,820
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	180	$53,430	$99,540	$120,710
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	110	$79,810	$99,320	$128,630
New Haven, CT	30	$53,070	$99,130	$106,980
Reading, PA	60	$51,950	$98,860	$98,860
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	240	$50,550	$98,410	$154,510
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	500	$59,330	$98,140	$129,790
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	50	$52,320	$97,740	$113,640
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	40	$62,530	$96,510	$110,290
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	410	$62,300	$92,120	$94,700
Springfield, MA	40	$60,410	$90,320	$119,440
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	130	$55,030	$89,880	$127,940
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	410	$61,450	$87,950	$87,950

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Crane and Tower Operators jobs in the May 2025 tables.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	2,100	$38,680	$75,500	$99,050
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	1,880	$40,290	$55,890	$107,760
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	1,500	$67,220	$100,640	$148,820
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,310	$46,290	$68,640	$91,940
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	790	$53,940	$72,010	$124,230
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	660	$42,480	$62,910	$81,300
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	650	$44,320	$59,740	$100,440
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	630	$50,930	$72,580	$89,450
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	590	$49,420	$81,490	$135,820
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	570	$63,320	$114,330	$135,210
Baton Rouge, LA	560	$48,530	$66,680	$83,970
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	530	$52,880	$78,100	$100,300
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	500	$59,330	$98,140	$129,790
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	430	$53,430	$71,400	$87,400
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	420	$49,050	$65,490	$84,150
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	410	$61,450	$87,950	$87,950
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	410	$62,300	$92,120	$94,700
Cleveland, OH	400	$45,270	$57,620	$101,230
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	370	$51,700	$77,420	$95,530
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	340	$39,870	$72,020	$98,730

States and territories

State estimates for Crane and Tower Operators, May 2025.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Hawaii	190	$96,640	$124,260	$131,220
Nevada	380	$61,460	$115,840	$135,000
Rhode Island	Not available	$67,460	$104,340	$132,610
Washington	1,030	$63,180	$101,110	$133,550
New Jersey	1,000	$65,510	$100,640	$129,570
Massachusetts	680	$59,860	$98,150	$129,790
Alaska	50	$81,060	$92,490	$116,480
Maryland	Not available	$61,450	$87,950	$94,700
New York	1,150	$49,460	$85,850	$216,500
Oregon	340	$49,780	$83,260	$132,400
North Dakota	180	$50,200	$82,890	$96,790
Montana	30	$51,970	$82,800	$101,860
Connecticut	220	$52,000	$81,360	$106,980
Minnesota	370	$52,590	$80,930	$116,890
California	2,130	$50,550	$79,570	$135,820
Wyoming	230	$63,650	$77,970	$94,580
Colorado	470	$57,800	$77,120	$97,470
Kansas	780	$49,840	$77,100	$99,500
Texas	6,010	$42,790	$73,280	$93,390
Vermont	170	$61,070	$72,760	$105,910
Florida	2,570	$47,840	$71,560	$94,170
South Dakota	120	$58,370	$71,000	$93,600
Wisconsin	440	$48,980	$67,720	$104,420
Iowa	650	$47,480	$67,600	$83,650
Utah	440	$35,880	$67,410	$97,140
Arizona	930	$50,930	$67,350	$87,990
Virginia	1,120	$42,720	$66,600	$88,480
Maine	360	$45,310	$65,690	$90,730
Pennsylvania	1,630	$44,320	$65,190	$106,380
North Carolina	1,050	$46,530	$64,480	$82,730
South Carolina	720	$45,420	$64,120	$89,440
Oklahoma	620	$46,300	$63,590	$82,500
New Hampshire	170	$48,830	$63,310	$88,630
New Mexico	290	$45,180	$62,400	$81,830
Georgia	1,370	$41,700	$62,050	$76,860
Kentucky	640	$40,810	$62,000	$89,660
Illinois	1,220	$41,470	$61,820	$131,280
Mississippi	550	$34,690	$61,260	$73,840
Louisiana	1,930	$45,370	$61,170	$82,620
Alabama	1,280	$37,650	$60,790	$99,380
Nebraska	410	$36,140	$60,720	$82,410
Delaware	220	$53,940	$60,160	$77,730
Michigan	1,310	$44,510	$59,740	$99,090
Tennessee	660	$40,890	$59,410	$84,090
Missouri	630	$40,680	$58,450	$95,580
Guam	50	$47,010	$58,140	$72,230
Ohio	1,780	$41,910	$57,620	$98,530
West Virginia	170	$36,260	$54,830	$72,090
Indiana	2,300	$38,830	$52,950	$87,640
Idaho	Not available	$46,970	$52,770	$104,240
Arkansas	880	$35,920	$41,600	$64,100

Other transportation and material moving occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Crane and Tower Operators?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Crane and Tower Operators is $68,080. Employment is 42,890.

How does Crane and Tower Operators pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Crane and Tower Operators is 33.5% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Crane and Tower Operators?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV is highest on this page's list at $131,690.