occupation · 53-7021 · detailed
Crane and Tower Operators — wages and employment
Crane and Tower Operators earned a median annual wage of $66,370 in the United States in May 2024, with 42,000 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Crane and Tower Operators earned a median annual wage of $66,370 in the United States in May 2024, with 42,000 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $41,670 or less, the best-paid tenth $102,400 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $64,690 to $66,370, +2.6 %. The best-paying state is Nevada at $129,930; the lowest Puerto Rico at $31,620. Among metropolitan areas, Worcester, MA pays the highest median, $133,820. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 42,000 | $66,370 | $71,560 | $41,670 | $50,970 | $81,630 | $102,400 | $31.91 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 42,260 | $64,690 | $68,040 | $39,200 | $48,380 | $78,720 | $98,820 | $31.10 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $129,930 | — |
| Hawaii | $115,870 | 220 |
| Oregon | $110,280 | 460 |
| New York | $110,000 | 1,330 |
| District of Columbia | $106,150 | 50 |
| Washington | $96,870 | 890 |
| Montana | $91,520 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $88,470 | 740 |
| Connecticut | $86,830 | 260 |
| Alaska | $80,900 | 50 |
| Michigan | $77,110 | 1,210 |
| Massachusetts | $76,640 | 480 |
| Wyoming | $76,110 | 120 |
| North Dakota | $74,880 | 220 |
| Colorado | $74,140 | 600 |
| Vermont | $73,840 | 120 |
| Idaho | $73,480 | — |
| Texas | $72,870 | 6,650 |
| Oklahoma | $71,500 | 540 |
| South Dakota | $70,400 | 50 |
| Florida | $70,130 | 2,460 |
| California | $69,970 | 2,010 |
| Utah | $69,020 | 510 |
| Wisconsin | $68,310 | 730 |
| Arizona | $67,960 | 1,110 |
| Minnesota | $67,320 | 170 |
| Georgia | $67,230 | 1,780 |
| Nebraska | $66,800 | 290 |
| Maryland | $66,800 | 310 |
| Virginia | $65,400 | 1,280 |
| Kansas | $64,430 | 620 |
| New Hampshire | $63,410 | 190 |
| Delaware | $62,820 | 70 |
| Mississippi | $62,510 | 770 |
| Ohio | $62,460 | 2,120 |
| North Carolina | $62,060 | 1,100 |
| Maine | $61,320 | 430 |
| Louisiana | $61,130 | 1,750 |
| New Mexico | $60,950 | 110 |
| Guam | $59,680 | 50 |
| Indiana | $57,890 | 1,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,760 | 1,650 |
| Tennessee | $56,530 | 500 |
| Iowa | $55,620 | 570 |
| South Carolina | $55,410 | 980 |
| Kentucky | $55,100 | 770 |
| West Virginia | $54,650 | 200 |
| Illinois | $53,240 | 1,100 |
| Alabama | $47,620 | 1,170 |
| Missouri | $46,580 | 470 |
| Arkansas | $42,170 | 670 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,620 | 60 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | $133,820 | — |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $132,560 | — |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $118,720 | 60 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $115,860 | 200 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $113,700 | 70 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $110,280 | 320 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $106,010 | 470 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $104,480 | 40 |
| New Haven, CT | $104,380 | 50 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $102,260 | 50 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $101,980 | — |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $94,370 | 1,460 |
| Syracuse, NY | $91,590 | 40 |
| Columbus, OH | $90,090 | 160 |
| Reno, NV | $87,360 | — |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $86,600 | 60 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $84,640 | 90 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $84,470 | 620 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $82,370 | 40 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $81,110 | 60 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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