Crane Rigger Salary

$40.5K

$55K

$78.5K

$58,039

/year

$27.90

/hour

Crane Rigger Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$58,039

Columbus

Ohio

$56,059

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    How much does a Crane Rigger make?

    As of Jun 17, 2026, the average annual pay for a Crane Rigger in the United States is $58,039 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $27.90 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,116/week or $4,836/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $78,500 and as low as $40,500, the majority of Crane Rigger salaries currently range between $49,000 (25th percentile) to $66,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $76,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Crane Rigger varies greatly (by as much as 17500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Crane Rigger in your area makes on average $56,059 per year, or $1,980 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $58,039. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Crane Rigger salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Crane Rigger jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Crane Rigger on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Crane Rigger Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Crane Rigger job is above the national average. Topping the list is Palmdale, CA, , with Nome, AK, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $12,716 (21.9%), and Palmdale, CA, furthers that trend with another $28,412 (49.0%) above the $58,039 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Crane Rigger appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 23% between Palmdale, CA, and San Jose, CA, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Crane Rigger role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Palmdale, CA

    $86,451

    $41.56

    Nome, AK

    $71,997

    $34.61

    Berkeley, CA

    $70,755

    $34.02

    Pennington County, SD

    $70,149

    $33.73

    Sitka, AK

    $69,918

    $33.61

    Beverly, MA

    $68,854

    $33.10

    San Francisco, CA

    $68,379

    $32.87

    Santa Clara, CA

    $68,163

    $32.77

    Livermore, CA

    $68,078

    $32.73

    San Jose, CA

    $68,021

    $32.70

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Crane Rigger Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Crane Rigger job category, we found that Prototype Machinist jobs have average salaries greater than Crane Rigger jobs.

    Significantly, Prototype Machinist jobs pay $4,236 (7.3%) more than the average Crane Rigger salary of $58,039. If you're qualified, finding work as a Prototype Machinist may help you make more money than that of the average Crane Rigger position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Prototype Machinist

    $62,275

    $29.94

    Qualified Rigger

    $54,114

    $26.02

    No Experience Machinist

    $53,313

    $25.63

    General Machinist

    $47,912

    $23.03

    Steel Mill Operator

    $42,326

    $20.35

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Crane Rigger salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $58,039 per year or $27.90 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.