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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

53-7021 Crane and Tower Operators

Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.


National estimates for Crane and Tower Operators
Industry profile for Crane and Tower Operators
Geographic profile for Crane and Tower Operators

National estimates for Crane and Tower Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Crane and Tower Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
45,210 5.7 % $ 31.36 $ 65,220 1.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Crane and Tower Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 18.12 $ 23.00 $ 29.49 $ 36.76 $ 44.91
Annual Wage (2) $ 37,680 $ 47,840 $ 61,340 $ 76,450 $ 93,410


Industry profile for Crane and Tower Operators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Crane and Tower Operators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Crane and Tower Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Crane and Tower Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 10,400 1.37 $ 39.07 $ 81,260
Support Activities for Water Transportation 5,680 6.04 $ 29.01 $ 60,340
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 3,780 0.26 $ 21.62 $ 44,960
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 2,400 2.97 $ 23.78 $ 49,460
Rental and leasing services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) 1,890 0.58 $ 38.08 $ 79,210

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Crane and Tower Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Water Transportation 5,680 6.04 $ 29.01 $ 60,340
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 2,400 2.97 $ 23.78 $ 49,460
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 10,400 1.37 $ 39.07 $ 81,260
Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel 490 0.89 $ 21.08 $ 43,850
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 880 0.71 $ 43.74 $ 90,970

Top paying industries for Crane and Tower Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Residential Building Construction (8) (8) $ 44.49 $ 92,540
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 40 0.10 $ 44.01 $ 91,540
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 880 0.71 $ 43.74 $ 90,970
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 100 0.03 $ 41.82 $ 86,980
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 10,400 1.37 $ 39.07 $ 81,260


Geographic profile for Crane and Tower Operators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Crane and Tower Operators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Crane and Tower Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of crane and tower operators by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Crane and Tower Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,230 0.56 1.82 $ 29.57 $ 61,500
California 6,550 0.37 1.21 $ 30.16 $ 62,730
Florida 2,100 0.23 0.75 $ 30.44 $ 63,310
Ohio 2,060 0.38 1.25 $ 31.74 $ 66,020
Pennsylvania 1,940 0.33 1.09 $ 28.33 $ 58,920


Map of location quotient of crane and tower operators by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Crane and Tower Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 1,810 0.98 3.20 $ 29.67 $ 61,710
North Dakota 320 0.79 2.57 $ 37.93 $ 78,890
West Virginia 440 0.65 2.12 $ 24.62 $ 51,210
Arkansas 790 0.64 2.09 $ 21.59 $ 44,900
Texas 7,230 0.56 1.82 $ 29.57 $ 61,500


Map of annual mean wages of crane and tower operators by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Crane and Tower Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 1,180 0.13 0.42 $ 65.54 $ 136,330
Hawaii 240 0.41 1.34 $ 50.56 $ 105,170
Nevada 300 0.22 0.71 $ 49.69 $ 103,350
New Jersey 640 0.16 0.51 $ 47.08 $ 97,930
District of Columbia (8) (8) (8) $ 42.97 $ 89,380



Map of employment of crane and tower operators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Crane and Tower Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,010 0.66 2.15 $ 28.37 $ 59,010
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,850 0.93 3.06 $ 30.90 $ 64,280
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,290 0.34 1.11 $ 29.42 $ 61,190
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,160 0.13 0.41 $ 66.23 $ 137,770
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 930 1.27 4.17 $ 30.27 $ 62,960
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 830 0.19 0.61 $ 29.30 $ 60,950
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 760 0.32 1.04 $ 34.00 $ 70,720
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 710 0.35 1.13 $ 41.71 $ 86,750
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 690 0.37 1.20 $ 30.65 $ 63,750
Pittsburgh, PA 590 0.56 1.82 $ 26.72 $ 55,570


Map of location quotient of crane and tower operators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Crane and Tower Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Longview, TX 470 5.03 16.46 $ 27.07 $ 56,300
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 250 3.18 10.39 $ 26.65 $ 55,420
Odessa, TX 150 2.06 6.73 $ 30.23 $ 62,890
Corpus Christi, TX 310 1.70 5.56 $ 30.40 $ 63,230
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 220 1.46 4.79 $ 32.90 $ 68,440
Midland, TX 150 1.45 4.74 $ 34.77 $ 72,330
Mobile, AL 230 1.37 4.48 $ 27.65 $ 57,510
Lake Charles, LA 130 1.36 4.43 $ 31.33 $ 65,160
Baton Rouge, LA 510 1.32 4.31 $ 33.10 $ 68,850
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 930 1.27 4.17 $ 30.27 $ 62,960


Map of annual mean wages of crane and tower operators by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Crane and Tower Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,160 0.13 0.41 $ 66.23 $ 137,770
Syracuse, NY 40 0.13 0.43 $ 52.98 $ 110,190
Urban Honolulu, HI 200 0.48 1.56 $ 50.44 $ 104,900
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 110 0.22 0.71 $ 48.74 $ 101,390
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 90 0.22 0.72 $ 48.17 $ 100,200
Rochester, NY 60 0.13 0.43 $ 44.57 $ 92,710
Kennewick-Richland, WA 40 0.33 1.07 $ 42.59 $ 88,590
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 80 0.21 0.69 $ 42.47 $ 88,350
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 430 0.36 1.19 $ 41.86 $ 87,060
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 710 0.35 1.13 $ 41.71 $ 86,750

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Crane and Tower Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 210 1.10 3.58 $ 29.37 $ 61,080
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 200 3.09 10.09 $ 19.82 $ 41,220
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 190 1.71 5.60 $ 38.04 $ 79,130
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 180 0.84 2.76 $ 22.68 $ 47,170
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 160 1.23 4.03 $ 26.13 $ 54,350

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Crane and Tower Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 200 3.09 10.09 $ 19.82 $ 41,220
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 190 1.71 5.60 $ 38.04 $ 79,130
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 90 1.29 4.21 $ 26.23 $ 54,550
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 110 1.24 4.06 $ 22.22 $ 46,220
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 160 1.23 4.03 $ 26.13 $ 54,350

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Crane and Tower Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 40 0.45 1.48 $ 40.09 $ 83,380
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 190 1.71 5.60 $ 38.04 $ 79,130
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 90 0.58 1.90 $ 37.36 $ 77,710
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 50 0.48 1.55 $ 37.21 $ 77,390
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 60 0.61 1.99 $ 36.13 $ 75,140


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023