Crane operator earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level crane operator earnings begin at:

$39.30 per hour

$81,750 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level crane operator earnings begin at:

$31.00 per hour

$64,482 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level crane operator earnings begin at:

$23.82 per hour

$49,538 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level crane operator earnings begin at:

$18.30 per hour

$38,057 per year

10th percentile

Starting level crane operator earnings begin at:

$14.43 per hour

$30,018 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Crane operator salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Hawaii $98,910
Nevada $98,140
Washington $81,400
District of Columbia $79,260
Virgin Islands, U.S. $76,600
Wyoming $76,600
California $76,190
Colorado $74,620
Missouri $72,440
Alaska $69,080
New Mexico $68,550
North Dakota $65,420
Oregon $63,840
New Hampshire $63,670
Montana $63,460
Florida $63,380
Virginia $63,150
Idaho $63,100
Texas $62,490
Minnesota $62,390
Iowa $62,100
South Dakota $62,100
Maryland $61,870
Wisconsin $61,870
Arizona $61,640
Massachusetts $60,590
Connecticut $60,430
Utah $60,380
Vermont $60,360
North Carolina $60,250
Maine $60,110
Oklahoma $60,110
Mississippi $59,400
South Carolina $57,920
Tennessee $56,180
Pennsylvania $55,870
Indiana $54,240
Rhode Island $53,650
Louisiana $53,410
Illinois $51,010
Guam $50,350
Arkansas $49,850
Delaware $49,840
Michigan $49,790
Kentucky $49,580
Ohio $49,370
Nebraska $49,150
West Virginia $48,580
Alabama $48,230
Kansas $47,040
Georgia $46,840
Puerto Rico $26,320
New Jersey $116,370
New York $103,580

How do crane operator salaries compare to similar careers?

Crane operators earn 7% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than mining machine operators but more than pipelayers.

Career Median Salary
Mining machine operator salary $62K
Hydroelectric plant technician salary $60K
Faller salary $53K
Commercial diver salary $57K
Water treatment plant operator salary $56K
Crane operator salary $50K
Locksmith salary $50K
Extraction worker salary $51K
Ship loader salary $49K
Pipelayer salary $50K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)