Pay by state · 51 states
Crane and Tower Operator Salary by State (2026)
Crane and Tower Operators earn the most in Hawaii at $124,260 a year and the least in Arkansas at $41,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $68,080. All 51 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $124,260Hawaii
- National median
- $68,080BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $41,600Arkansas
- States reporting
- 51of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Crane and Tower Operator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of crane and tower operators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIHawaii | $124,260 | $118,140 | $127,820 | 190 | $113,014 |
| 2 | NVNevada | $115,840 | $100,280 | $135,000 | 380 | $115,864 |
| 3 | RIRhode Island | $104,340 | $76,610 | $127,210 | N/A | $102,014 |
| 4 | WAWashington | $101,110 | $79,150 | $124,520 | 1,030 | $94,484 |
| 5 | NJNew Jersey | $100,640 | $90,020 | $124,700 | 1,000 | $92,496 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $98,150 | $76,610 | $129,790 | 680 | $92,807 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $92,490 | $81,930 | $96,740 | 50 | $90,358 |
| 8 | MDMaryland | $87,950 | $73,240 | $87,950 | N/A | $83,795 |
| 9 | NYNew York | $85,850 | $70,110 | $126,050 | 1,150 | $79,549 |
| 10 | OROregon | $83,260 | $63,190 | $122,500 | 340 | $80,553 |
| 11 | NDNorth Dakota | $82,890 | $70,880 | $89,920 | 180 | $93,178 |
| 12 | MTMontana | $82,800 | $74,170 | $95,840 | 30 | $87,485 |
| 13 | CTConnecticut | $81,360 | $55,230 | $97,750 | 220 | $78,525 |
| 14 | MNMinnesota | $80,930 | $58,210 | $114,480 | 370 | $82,062 |
| 15 | CACalifornia | $79,570 | $66,620 | $100,860 | 2,130 | $71,866 |
| 16 | WYWyoming | $77,970 | $70,590 | $91,880 | 230 | $84,118 |
| 17 | COColorado | $77,120 | $65,500 | $79,040 | 470 | $74,836 |
| 18 | KSKansas | $77,100 | $59,410 | $86,910 | 780 | $85,602 |
| 19 | TXTexas | $73,280 | $57,020 | $79,880 | 6,010 | $75,502 |
| 20 | VTVermont | $72,760 | $65,050 | $78,120 | 170 | $74,277 |
| 21 | FLFlorida | $71,560 | $58,950 | $81,120 | 2,570 | $69,198 |
| 22 | SDSouth Dakota | $71,000 | $61,080 | $77,450 | 120 | $80,148 |
| 23 | WIWisconsin | $67,720 | $53,530 | $85,110 | 440 | $71,970 |
| 24 | IAIowa | $67,600 | $55,910 | $81,130 | 650 | $77,027 |
| 25 | UTUtah | $67,410 | $50,340 | $79,970 | 440 | $68,185 |
| 26 | AZArizona | $67,350 | $58,460 | $79,550 | 930 | $66,897 |
| 27 | VAVirginia | $66,600 | $54,770 | $77,630 | 1,120 | $65,873 |
| 28 | MEMaine | $65,690 | $49,200 | $77,460 | 360 | $67,687 |
| 29 | PAPennsylvania | $65,190 | $53,770 | $75,070 | 1,630 | $66,812 |
| 30 | NCNorth Carolina | $64,480 | $55,070 | $77,670 | 1,050 | $68,359 |
| 31 | SCSouth Carolina | $64,120 | $48,100 | $80,880 | 720 | $68,395 |
| 32 | OKOklahoma | $63,590 | $54,080 | $78,160 | 620 | $72,391 |
| 33 | NHNew Hampshire | $63,310 | $52,760 | $75,180 | 170 | $60,779 |
| 34 | NMNew Mexico | $62,400 | $61,630 | $67,280 | 290 | $67,670 |
| 35 | GAGeorgia | $62,050 | $48,940 | $75,340 | 1,370 | $64,439 |
| 36 | KYKentucky | $62,000 | $45,830 | $80,040 | 640 | $68,767 |
| 37 | ILIllinois | $61,820 | $46,170 | $83,030 | 1,220 | $61,846 |
| 38 | MSMississippi | $61,260 | $40,280 | $64,860 | 550 | $70,452 |
| 39 | LALouisiana | $61,170 | $52,100 | $75,940 | 1,930 | $69,348 |
| 40 | ALAlabama | $60,790 | $44,750 | $74,150 | 1,280 | $68,439 |
| 41 | NENebraska | $60,720 | $46,970 | $77,500 | 410 | $67,390 |
| 42 | DEDelaware | $60,160 | $58,620 | $60,760 | 220 | $60,276 |
| 43 | MIMichigan | $59,740 | $49,480 | $88,710 | 1,310 | $62,089 |
| 44 | TNTennessee | $59,410 | $45,910 | $78,920 | 660 | $64,667 |
| 45 | MOMissouri | $58,450 | $41,210 | $81,740 | 630 | $64,360 |
| 46 | GUGuam | $58,140 | $53,670 | $68,360 | 50 | N/A |
| 47 | OHOhio | $57,620 | $46,790 | $75,190 | 1,780 | $62,108 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $54,830 | $39,720 | $59,810 | 170 | $61,265 |
| 49 | INIndiana | $52,950 | $40,450 | $66,070 | 2,300 | $56,735 |
| 50 | IDIdaho | $52,770 | $49,220 | $78,320 | N/A | $55,260 |
| 51 | ARArkansas | $41,600 | $37,000 | $46,060 | 880 | $47,851 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Crane and Tower Operators, that changes the ranking: Hawaii leads on raw pay at $124,260, while Nevada leads once prices are taken into account at $115,864.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Crane and Tower Operator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Crane and Tower Operators the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for Crane and Tower Operators at $124,260 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Nevada ($115,840) and Rhode Island ($104,340).
Which state pays Crane and Tower Operators the least?
Arkansas reports the lowest median for Crane and Tower Operators at $41,600 a year, $82,660 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Crane and Tower Operators earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Nevada first at $115,864 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $115,840. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.