Crane operator salary in 2026

How much do crane operators make?

Crane operators make $68,080 a year at the national median, and the middle half earn between $52,600 and $83,200.^{[oews_trades]} The BLS occupation is crane and tower operators (SOC 53-7021). O*NET lists mobile, overhead, port, tower, scrap and woodyard crane operator among its job titles.^[onet_crane] BLS counted 42,890 crane operator jobs in May 2025, and the mean wage of $72,130 sits above the median because a minority earn far more.

*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.^[irs]

Crane operator hourly pay and overtime

Crane operator hourly pay is $32.73 at the median, $20.50 at the 10th percentile and $49.79 at the 90th.^{[oews_trades]} Those are straight-time rates on BLS’s 2,080-hour year, with no overtime.^[oews_faq] Federal law requires time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek for covered employees. At the median rate, 10 overtime hours a week lift the year to about $93,610 before tax.^[flsa] A single filer at the median keeps about $56,724 after federal tax and FICA; at the 90th percentile, about $81,691.

Crane operator salary by state

Hawaii pays crane operators the most, at a median of $124,260, followed by Nevada ($115,840) and Rhode Island ($104,340); Arkansas is lowest at $41,600.^[oews_crane] 5 states have a median of $100,000 or more. BLS published no May 2025 crane operator wage for District of Columbia.

Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025; “—” where BLS did not publish one. Small states rest on few workers.

The biggest construction states pay very differently: Texas $73,280, California $79,570, Florida $71,560, New York $85,850, Illinois $61,820, Louisiana $61,170.^[oews_crane] The gap between the top and bottom of that list is $24,680 a year.

Tower crane operator salary

A tower crane operator salary is not published separately: BLS puts tower, mobile and overhead crane operators in the same occupation, so the national figures above cover all of them.^[onet_crane] For a tower crane job, use the state table: pay for the whole occupation ranges from $41,600 to $124,260 at the state median, and the top 10% nationally earn over $103,570.^{[oews_crane][oews_trades]}

Crane operator certification

Crane operators in construction must be certified before they run most cranes: OSHA requires the employer to make sure each operator is trained, certified or licensed, and evaluated.^[osha1427] Certification comes from an accredited crane operator testing organization, or from an audited employer program. It is valid for 5 years and names the type of equipment covered. When certification is required, the employer must provide it at no cost to the employee. Until certified, an operator may run equipment only as an operator-in-training under supervision. Derricks, sideboom cranes and equipment rated at 2,000 pounds or less are exempt.^[osha1427]

Crane operators vs other equipment trades

Crane operators earn more than most equipment trades: their $68,080 median compares with $59,850 for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, $62,780 for structural ironworkers and $58,640 for heavy truck drivers.^{[oews_trades][onet_truck]}

Compare 30 trades on highest paying trades, and driving pay on truck driver salary. For a trade with a fixed apprenticeship route, see elevator mechanic salary. Utility line crews are covered on lineman salary.