SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 53-7021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $42,640 | $3,553 | $820 | $20.50 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $52,600 | $4,383 | $1,012 | $25.29 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $68,080 | $5,673 | $1,309 | $32.73 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $83,200 | $6,933 | $1,600 | $40.00 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $103,570 | $8,631 | $1,992 | $49.79 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Crane and Tower Operators is $68,080, which is 34% higher. Among the 50 occupations of the field Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks number 13 by median pay. With 42,890 jobs, it makes up about 2.8 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Crane and Tower Operators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($124,260), Nevada ($115,840) and Rhode Island ($104,340). The lowest was in Arkansas ($41,600), Idaho ($52,770) and Indiana ($52,950). The most jobs were in Texas (6,010), Florida (2,570) and Indiana (2,300). The occupation is most concentrated in Louisiana, where its share of all jobs is 3.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 190 | $124,260 | $119,300 | $59.74 |
| Nevada | 380 | $115,840 | $108,410 | $55.69 |
| Rhode Island | not published | $104,340 | $99,690 | $50.16 |
| Washington | 1,030 | $101,110 | $101,600 | $48.61 |
| New Jersey | 1,000 | $100,640 | $102,380 | $48.39 |
| Massachusetts | 680 | $98,150 | $100,260 | $47.19 |
| Alaska | 50 | $92,490 | $91,790 | $44.47 |
| Maryland | not published | $87,950 | $82,070 | $42.28 |
| New York | 1,150 | $85,850 | $115,400 | $41.27 |
| Oregon | 340 | $83,260 | $91,780 | $40.03 |
| North Dakota | 180 | $82,890 | $79,800 | $39.85 |
| Montana | 30 | $82,800 | $81,740 | $39.81 |
| Connecticut | 220 | $81,360 | $79,050 | $39.12 |
| Minnesota | 370 | $80,930 | $85,490 | $38.91 |
| California | 2,130 | $79,570 | $87,030 | $38.25 |
| Wyoming | 230 | $77,970 | $79,180 | $37.49 |
| Colorado | 470 | $77,120 | $76,030 | $37.08 |
| Kansas | 780 | $77,100 | $73,110 | $37.07 |
| Texas | 6,010 | $73,280 | $69,650 | $35.23 |
| Vermont | 170 | $72,760 | $75,930 | $34.98 |
| Florida | 2,570 | $71,560 | $71,460 | $34.40 |
| South Dakota | 120 | $71,000 | $70,560 | $34.13 |
| Wisconsin | 440 | $67,720 | $72,660 | $32.56 |
| Iowa | 650 | $67,600 | $67,390 | $32.50 |
| Utah | 440 | $67,410 | $70,970 | $32.41 |
| Arizona | 930 | $67,350 | $70,260 | $32.38 |
| Virginia | 1,120 | $66,600 | $66,470 | $32.02 |
| Maine | 360 | $65,690 | $66,340 | $31.58 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,630 | $65,190 | $68,580 | $31.34 |
| North Carolina | 1,050 | $64,480 | $65,620 | $31.00 |
| South Carolina | 720 | $64,120 | $65,890 | $30.83 |
| Oklahoma | 620 | $63,590 | $66,120 | $30.57 |
| New Hampshire | 170 | $63,310 | $65,170 | $30.44 |
| New Mexico | 290 | $62,400 | $63,550 | $30.00 |
| Georgia | 1,370 | $62,050 | $62,240 | $29.83 |
| Kentucky | 640 | $62,000 | $63,750 | $29.81 |
| Illinois | 1,220 | $61,820 | $71,380 | $29.72 |
| Mississippi | 550 | $61,260 | $56,090 | $29.45 |
| Louisiana | 1,930 | $61,170 | $63,380 | $29.41 |
| Alabama | 1,280 | $60,790 | $61,170 | $29.22 |
| Nebraska | 410 | $60,720 | $61,510 | $29.19 |
| Delaware | 220 | $60,160 | $62,330 | $28.92 |
| Michigan | 1,310 | $59,740 | $68,230 | $28.72 |
| Tennessee | 660 | $59,410 | $63,250 | $28.56 |
| Missouri | 630 | $58,450 | $63,850 | $28.10 |
| Guam | 50 | $58,140 | $59,900 | $27.95 |
| Ohio | 1,780 | $57,620 | $63,000 | $27.70 |
| West Virginia | 170 | $54,830 | $54,450 | $26.36 |
| Indiana | 2,300 | $52,950 | $57,330 | $25.46 |
| Idaho | not published | $52,770 | $65,560 | $25.37 |
| Arkansas | 880 | $41,600 | $45,160 | $20.00 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators$77,320 a year
- Wellhead Pumpers$69,960 a year
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers$68,840 a year
- Flight Attendants$63,580 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors$62,890 a year
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers$61,770 a year
Common questions
How much do Crane and Tower Operators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $68,080 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,640 and the highest-paid 10% more than $103,570.
How many people work as Crane and Tower Operators?
About 42,890 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.