Crane Operator
Crane Operator Salary
$31K - $36K
7% of jobs
$36K - $41K
12% of jobs
$45.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$41K - $46K
7% of jobs
$46K - $51K
8% of jobs
$51K - $56K
10% of jobs
The median wage is $59.3K / yr.
$56K - $61K
9% of jobs
$61K - $66K
12% of jobs
$69.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$66K - $71K
15% of jobs
$71K - $76K
9% of jobs
$76K - $81K
6% of jobs
$81K - $86K
5% of jobs
$31K
$60K
$84K
$58,350
/year
$28.05
/hour
Crane Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$58,350
Columbus
Ohio
$56,360
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How much does a Crane Operator make?
As of Aug 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Crane Operator in the United States is $58,350 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.05 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,122/week or $4,862/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $84,000 and as low as $31,000, the majority of Crane Operator salaries currently range between $45,000 (25th percentile) to $69,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $78,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Crane Operator varies greatly (by as much as 24000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Crane Operator in your area makes on average $56,360 per year, or $1,990 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $58,350. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Crane Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Crane Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Crane Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Crane Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Crane Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Wasco, CA, , with New Lisbon, WI, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $13,096 (22.4%), and Wasco, CA, furthers that trend with another $16,555 (28.4%) above the $58,350 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Crane Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 8% between Wasco, CA, and Santa Clara, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Crane Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Wasco, CA | $74,905 | $36.01 |
New Lisbon, WI | $73,414 | $35.30 |
Berkeley, CA | $71,446 | $34.35 |
Rancho Murieta, CA | $70,973 | $34.12 |
Sitka, AK | $70,293 | $33.79 |
Cazadero, CA | $69,151 | $33.25 |
Alameda, CA | $68,925 | $33.14 |
San Francisco Bay Area, CA | $68,747 | $33.05 |
San Francisco, CA | $68,747 | $33.05 |
Santa Clara, CA | $68,529 | $32.95 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Crane Operator Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Crane Operator job category, we found that Certified Rigger jobs have average salaries similar than Crane Operator jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Certified Rigger | $54,114 | $26.02 |
Boom Crane Operator | $53,736 | $25.83 |
Bridge Crane Operator | $48,985 | $23.55 |
Truck Crane Operator | $48,000 | $23.08 |
Entry Level Crane Operator | $36,327 | $17.46 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
