Crane & tower operators

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

63.8k

Average Age

43.8

Estimated Job Growth

2.84%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$83,396

Average Male Salary

$83,368

Average Female Salary

$84,640

About

Crane & tower operators are most often employed by the Construction industry. The average yearly wage for Crane & tower operators was $83,396 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Crane & tower operators are Lake County (Northwest)--Hammond & East Chicago Cities PUMA, IN, Capital Region Planning Commission 6--Livingston & St. Helena Parishes PUMA, LA, and Houston-Galveston Area Council--Liberty & Chambers Counties PUMA, TX. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Crane & tower operators are Lake County (Northwest)--Hammond & East Chicago Cities PUMA, IN, Houston-Galveston Area Council--Liberty & Chambers Counties PUMA, TX, and Capital Region Planning Commission 6--Livingston & St. Helena Parishes PUMA, LA.

Photo by Matthew Sullivan

Production, Transportation, & Material Moving Occupations Transportation & Material Moving Occupations Transportation Occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Crane & tower operators workforce. Crane & tower operators workforce in 2024 was 63,811 people, of which 2.16% were women and 97.8% were men.

Crane & tower operators are paid most in Rock Island County PUMA, IL but are relatively concentrated in Lake County (Northwest)--Hammond & East Chicago Cities PUMA, IN.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

62,435

Male Workforce

± 6.13k

1,376

Female Workforce

± 911

The Crane & tower operators workforce in 2024 was 63,811 people (2.16% women and 97.8% men). This implies an average annual growth of 2.1% between 2014 (62,501) and 2024 (63,811).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Crane & tower operators.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Maryland ($137,711), New York ($107,253), and New Mexico ($106,982).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$83,396

AVERAGE WAGE

#160 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Crane & tower operators earned an average of $83,396, $13,518 more than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Crane & tower operators in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Crane & tower operators had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.305, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Crane & tower operators (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Crane & tower operators compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Crane & tower operators and on wages for those in the field. Construction is the industry that employs the most Crane & tower operators, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Crane & tower operators, by average wage, is Commercial, industrial & other intangible assets rental & leasing ($149,644).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

63.8k

2024 Workforce

± 6,201

−0.39%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 13.8%

This graphic shows the share of Crane & tower operators employed by various industries. Construction employs the largest share of Crane & tower operators at 66.4%, followed by Iron & steel mills & steel product manufacturing with 22.8% and Services incidental to transportation with 6.13%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Crane & tower operators in the US. The workforce of Crane & tower operators in 2024 was 63,811 people, with 2.16% woman, and 97.8% men. The average age of male Crane & tower operators in the workforce is 43.9 and of female Crane & tower operators is 40.8, and the most common race/ethnicity for Crane & tower operators is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Crane & tower operators in 2024 was 63,811 people, with 2.16% woman, and 97.8% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 40 to 44 years (8,230 people), 50 to 54 years (7,970 people), and 35 to 39 years (7,839 people). Among them they concentrated 37.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 17.4% of Crane & tower operators workers were Hispanic and 82.6% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (70.1%), Puerto Rican (11.6)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (8.38)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 68.7% of the Crane & tower operators workforce were White, of which 1.65% were women and 98.3% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (11%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Crane & tower operators from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Crane & tower operators is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.

Among the necessary skills for Crane & tower operators, Operation and Control stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Crane & tower operators need more than the average amount of Equipment Maintenance.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Crane & tower operators in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (439 people), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (277 people), and Protective Services (273 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Crane & tower operators workers were High School or Equivalent (33,851 people), Some college (15,031 people), and Secondary Education (6,426 people).

The graphic shows the Crane & tower operators workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Crane & tower operators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Crane & tower operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Crane and Tower Operators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Crane and Tower Operators are expected to see a growth of 2.84% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

For growth projections, the closest comparible industry reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is Crane and Tower Operators.

2.84%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Crane & tower operators. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.