As of April 01, 2025, the average hourly pay of Crane Operator in the United States is $25. While Salary.com is seeing that Crane Operator salary in the US can go up to $31 or down to $21, but most earn between $23 and $28. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Crane Operator in the United States.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $28 | $2 | $1 | $0 |
| Average | $25 | $2 | $0 | $0 |
| 25th Percentile | $23 | $2 | $0 | $0 |
As of April 01, 2025, Salary.com is seeing that an entry-level Crane Operator with under 1 year experience makes about $50,468. With less than 2 years of experience, a mid-level Crane Operator makes around $51,307. After 2-4 years, the Crane Operator pay rises to about $53,637. Those senior Crane Operator with 5-8 years of experience earn roughly $55,172, and those Crane Operator having 8 years or more experience is expected to earn about $55,363 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Crane Operator | $50,468 |
| Intermediate Level Crane Operator | $51,307 |
| Senior Level Crane Operator | $53,637 |
| Specialist Level Crane Operator | $55,172 |
| Expert Level Crane Operator | $55,363 |
| Entry Level | 3% |
| Mid Level | 1% |
| Senior Level | 3% |
| Top Level | 6% |
| Experienced | 6% |
Salaries in the United States can vary significantly from state to state due to a multitude of factors, including cost of living, local economic conditions, and industry presence.
For example, as of April 01, 2025, the average yearly salary of Crane Operator is $57,363 in California and in Massachusetts, the average annual salary goes to $56,598. While in New Jersey, a Crane Operator earns $56,369 per year.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary significantly from city to city due to a multitude of factors, including cost of living, local economic conditions, and industry presence.
For example, as of April 01, 2025, the average yearly salary of Crane Operator in San Francisco, CA is $64,950 and in New York, NY, the average annual salary goes to $60,270. While a Crane Operator earns $58,002 per year in Boston, MA.
For those exploring the changing dynamics of Crane Operator salaries, Salary.com offers detailed insights through our Job Trending in CA Labor Market analysis. As of April 01, 2025, our research highlights a notable shift in Crane Operator compensation over the past six years. For instance, the median salary has moved from $49,882 in 2023 to about $50,195 in 2024 (for a comprehensive analysis of Crane Operator salary trends, click here). It's crucial to consider several elements, including geographical location, experience level, industry demand, and economic development, as they play a significant role in influencing salary variations.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Crane Operator information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Crane Operator job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Crane Operator and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $52,006 | 67.7% | ||
| Bonus | $0 | 0.0% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $3,978 | 5.2% | ||
| 401K/403B | $2,184 | 2.8% | ||
| Disability | $1,040 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 10.9% | ||
| Pension | $2,808 | 3.7% | ||
| Time Off | $6,401 | 8.3% | ||
| Total Compensation | $76,770 | 100% | ||
Operates a crane to lift, move, load, unload, or position heavy materials or equipment. Performs daily safety and performance checks of crane equipment and may perform routine maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating or checking fluid levels. Communicates via hand or radio signals to receive or convey instructions. Identifies and addresses potential hazards and adheres to all safety protocols. Maintains documentation of activities including time logs and inspection reports to ensure compliance with regulations and operating procedures. Typically requires a high school diploma. May require NCCCO Certification. May require State License. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works under moderate supervision. Gaining or has attained full proficiency in a specific area of discipline. Typically requires 1-3 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Planning: An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Transportation: Refers to the mode of travel used to get from home to work most frequently. The transportation are bus, train, aeroplane, ship, car, etc while the mode of transportation refers to road, air, sea/ocean, etc.
Work Ethic: A belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. A set of values centered on importance of work and manifested by determination or desire to work hard.
