Skilled Wages

Crane operator vs heavy equipment operator: who earns more

Pay, range, growth and a state-by-state winner map, from BLS May 2025 data.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Crane operator vs heavy equipment operator: the numbers

Wage percentiles, Crane operatorMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrCrane operator: 10th $20.50 · 25th $25.29 · median $32.73 · 75th $40.00 · 90th $49.79Crane operator$32.73$20.50$49.79Heavy equipment operator: 10th $20.28 · 25th $23.40 · median $28.78 · 75th $37.10 · 90th $48.60Heavy equipment operator$28.78
Hourly wage percentiles, crane and tower operators vs operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, United States, May 2025.
Crane operatorHeavy equipment operator
Median hourly wage$32.73$28.78
Median annual pay$68,080$59,850
10th percentile (entry)$20.50$20.28
90th percentile (top)$49.79$48.60
Jobs nationwide42,890478,090
Projected growth 2025-35+3.8%+4.6%
Openings per year3,50039,200
10-year real wage change-3.0%-1.2%
States where this trade pays more419

Which pays more where you live

Crane operator minus heavy equipment operator, median $/hrAK: +$7.06AKAL: +$6.38ALAR: −$1.41ARAZ: +$3.24AZCA: −$3.65CACO: +$6.97COCT: +$1.26DC: —DE: +$1.03FL: +$10.65FLGA: +$6.81GAHI: +$4.04HIIA: +$3.49IAID: −$4.29IDIL: −$17.27ILIN: −$12.80INKS: +$12.25KSKY: +$2.03KYLA: +$4.55LAMA: +$10.26MD: +$12.75ME: +$4.59MEMI: −$1.42MIMN: +$0.87MNMO: −$1.00MOMS: +$6.66MSMT: +$10.20MTNC: +$7.29NCND: +$9.97NDNE: +$1.13NENH: +$0.53NJ: +$5.28NM: +$5.00NMNV: +$21.36NVNY: +$2.33NYOH: −$3.52OHOK: +$7.51OKOR: +$4.73ORPA: +$2.24PARI: +$19.58SC: +$7.30SCSD: +$5.52SDTN: +$3.56TNTX: +$10.97TXUT: +$3.21UTVA: +$4.54VAVT: +$6.68WA: +$9.33WAWI: −$3.63WIWV: +$1.70WVWY: +$7.22WYSmall statesCT +$1.26DC —DE +$1.03MA +$10.26MD +$12.75NH +$0.53NJ +$5.28RI +$19.58VT +$6.68Crane operator minus heavy equipment operator, median $/hr−$10.68−$1.71+$1.71+$10.68n/a
Difference in median hourly wage by state: blue where crane and tower operators earn more, orange where operating engineers and other construction equipment operators earn more.
StateCrane operator $/hrHeavy equipment operator $/hrPays more
Nevada$55.69$34.33Crane operator
Rhode Island$50.16$30.58Crane operator
Maryland$42.28$29.53Crane operator
Kansas$37.07$24.82Crane operator
Texas$35.23$24.26Crane operator
Florida$34.40$23.75Crane operator
Massachusetts$47.19$36.93Crane operator
Montana$39.81$29.61Crane operator
North Dakota$39.85$29.88Crane operator
Washington$48.61$39.28Crane operator
Oklahoma$30.57$23.06Crane operator
South Carolina$30.83$23.53Crane operator
North Carolina$31.00$23.71Crane operator
Wyoming$37.49$30.27Crane operator
Alaska$44.47$37.41Crane operator

Questions this page answers

Who makes more, crane operators or heavy equipment operators?

Nationally, crane and tower operators: a median of $32.73 an hour against $28.78 for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, a gap of $3.95 an hour in May 2025. Crane and tower operators earn more in 41 states, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in 9.

Which has the better outlook, crane operator or heavy equipment operator?

BLS projects +3.8% growth for crane and tower operators and +4.6% for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators over 2025-35, with 3,500 and 39,200 openings a year respectively.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections; CPI-U.