Crane and Tower Operators Career, Salary and Skills
Crane and Tower Operators have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $68,080 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 42,890. Wage data is published for 218 locations.
Occupation description
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
O*NET code
53-7021.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$68,080
Hourly median
$32.73
Employment
42,890
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Time Management | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Active Learning | 2.88 | 2.38 |
Typical tasks
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
- Inspect crane site conditions to determine ground stability.
- Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
- Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.
- Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
- Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary.
- Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
- Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.
Technology
- Crane operation control software
- Inventory tracking software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
Crane and Tower Operators salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in TXMedian $73,280 · Employment 6,010
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in FLMedian $71,560 · Employment 2,570
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in INMedian $52,950 · Employment 2,300
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in CAMedian $79,570 · Employment 2,130
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Houston, TXMedian $75,500 · Employment 2,100
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in LAMedian $61,170 · Employment 1,930
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $55,890 · Employment 1,880
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in OHMedian $57,620 · Employment 1,780
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in PAMedian $65,190 · Employment 1,630
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in New York, NYMedian $100,640 · Employment 1,500
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in GAMedian $62,050 · Employment 1,370
- Crane and Tower Operators Salary in MIMedian $59,740 · Employment 1,310
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- Industrial Machinery MechanicsNational median $64,520
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.