Crane and Tower Operators
Crane and Tower Operators earn an average annual salary of $82,918, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Crane and Tower Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
2,010 Workforce in 2023
The Crane and Tower Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Crane and Tower Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$82,918 Average Wage
In 2023, Crane and Tower Operators earned an average of $82,918.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Crane and Tower Operators.
Salary distribution for Crane and Tower Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
6,664 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -13.0%
5,798 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -24.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Crane and Tower Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Crane and Tower Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Crane and Tower Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Crane and Tower Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Crane and Tower Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Crane and Tower Operators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,800 employees, $81,605 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Crane and Tower Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 640 employees, $77,603 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 180 employees, $88,690 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 170 employees, $72,624 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 160 employees, $80,654 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 140 employees, $69,213 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 110 employees, $78,145 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 110 employees, $95,751 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 60 employees, $96,244 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 60 employees, $119,772 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 50 employees, $70,770 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Crane and Tower Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Crane and Tower Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Crane and Tower Operators in 2023 was 2,010 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Crane and Tower Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Crane and Tower Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Crane and Tower Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Crane and Tower Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Crane and Tower Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Crane and Tower Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Crane and Tower Operators.
Skills
Crane and Tower Operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Active Listening.
Required skills for Crane and Tower Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Crane and Tower Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Crane and Tower Operators include Mechanical, Mathematics, Transportation, English Language, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Crane and Tower Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Crane and Tower Operators include Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Depth Perception, Far Vision, Rate Control.
Required abilities for Crane and Tower Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Crane and Tower Operators.
Daily Activities
Crane and Tower Operators spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Crane and Tower Operators.
About
Crane and Tower Operators
The average yearly wage for Crane and Tower Operators was $82,918 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-7021 - Crane and Tower Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Crane and Tower Operators reports an average salary of $82,918.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 2,010 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.