Crane and Tower Operators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 53-7021 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$68,078
$32.73/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Crane and Tower Operators is $68,078 per year ($32.73/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $52,603 and $83,200 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $103,563 per year. There are approximately 42,890 crane and tower operators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.0%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
42K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only)
NAICS 5320A1
2K
$113,900
Wage range across top 5 industries: $46,170 to $113,900 (147% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$20.50
$42,640
P25
$25.29
$52,603
P50MEDIAN
$32.73
$68,078
P75
$40.00
$83,200
P90
$49.79
$103,563
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average crane and tower operators salary?
The national median salary for Crane and Tower Operators is $68,078 per year ($32.73/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $52,603 and $83,200 annually.
How much do top-earning crane and tower operators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Crane and Tower Operators is $103,563 per year ($49.79/hr). The 75th percentile is $83,200 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for crane and tower operators?
Entry-level Crane and Tower Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $42,640 per year ($20.50/hr). The 25th percentile is $52,603 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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