Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Georgia

Median $29.83 an hour for 1,370 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.83/hrMedian hourly wageGeorgia, May data
$62,050/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$20.05 – $36.9510th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,370Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Crane operator pay in Georgia: the full range

Wage percentiles, GeorgiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrGeorgia: 10th $20.05 · 25th $23.53 · median $29.83 · 75th $36.22 · 90th $36.95Georgia$29.83$20.05$36.95United States: 10th $20.50 · 25th $25.29 · median $32.73 · 75th $40.00 · 90th $49.79United States$32.73
Hourly wage percentiles for crane and tower operators: Georgia vs United States, May 2025.

Georgia ranks 35th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 40th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.98). 1,370 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$20.05 – $23.53$41,700 – $48,940roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.53 – $36.22$48,940 – $75,340the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$36.22 – $36.95$75,340 – $76,860the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Georgia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrAugusta: $36.99Augusta$36.99Savannah: $34.93Savannah$34.93Atlanta: $30.25Atlanta$30.25Chattanooga: $21.77Chattanooga$21.77
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in Georgia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Augusta$22.23$36.99$45.784024% above
Savannah$24.71$34.93$36.3616017% above
Atlanta$20.42$30.25$39.096601% above
Chattanooga$18.63$21.77$37.476027% below

Crane operator wages in Georgia over time

Georgia, 1999-2025GeorgiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$29.83Georgia
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Georgia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearGeorgia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.29$25.68$15.29820
2000$15.77$29.48$15.891,310
2001$16.85$30.63$16.641,240
2002$15.56$27.85$17.471,230
2003$17.30$30.27$17.861,560
2004$19.27$32.84$17.991,790
2005$19.44$32.05$18.691,790
2006$19.88$31.75$18.771,610
2007$20.27$31.47$19.361,300
2008$20.88$31.22$20.13960
2009$20.89$31.35$21.22880
2010$20.25$29.90$22.23790
2011$18.29$26.18$22.34850
2012$17.68$24.79$22.73730
2013$17.78$24.57$23.38710
2014$21.80$29.65$24.39710
2015$21.37$29.03$24.83740
2016$22.31$29.93$25.08750
2017$19.08$25.06$25.10610
2018$24.50$31.41$26.03850
2019$25.67$32.33$27.261,050
2020$26.16$32.54$28.711,280
2021$22.52$26.76$29.92820
2022$23.27$25.60$29.49830
2023$30.70$32.44$31.101,330
2024$32.32$33.17$31.911,780
2025$29.83$29.83$32.731,370

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Georgia changed by +2.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Georgia

On federally funded construction in Georgia, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 159 of the 159 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $54.61 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $29.83.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, GAUnion / prevailing package, $/hr
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for crane operators by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrCatoosa (Chattanooga): market median $21.77, prevailing (union) $54.61, gap +$32.84Catoosa (Chattanooga)+$32.84Bibb (Georgia): market median $29.83, prevailing (union) $54.61, gap +$24.78Bibb (Georgia)+$24.78Barrow (Atlanta): market median $30.25, prevailing (union) $54.61, gap +$24.36Barrow (Atlanta)+$24.36Bryan (Savannah): market median $34.93, prevailing (union) $54.61, gap +$19.68Bryan (Savannah)+$19.68Burke (Augusta): market median $36.99, prevailing (union) $54.61, gap +$17.62Burke (Augusta)+$17.62
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in Georgia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BakerUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260312
BaldwinUnion ENGI0926-034 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260084
BanksUnion ENGI0926-034 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260104
BarrowUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260313
BartowUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260302
BibbUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260314
BrantleyUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260315
BrooksUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260316
BryanUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260317
BullochUnion ENGI0926-035 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260105
BurkeUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260318
ButtsUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260313
CandlerUnion ENGI0926-035 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260105
CarrollUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260313
CatoosaUnion ENGI0926-005 2025-08-01$38.53$16.08$54.61GA20260319

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Georgia prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Georgia?

233.3kConstruction jobsGeorgia, 2026-08
-1.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025233kAug 2026
Construction employment in Georgia (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just crane operators), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Rockdale County2,310$96,652$1,859
Cobb County21,265$92,633$1,781
Fulton County11,203$91,591$1,761
Jackson County1,137$88,899$1,710
Carroll County2,476$88,363$1,699
DeKalb County6,686$88,283$1,698
Wilkes County388$88,204$1,696
Forsyth County5,666$87,501$1,683
Clayton County2,232$86,869$1,671
Gwinnett County18,291$84,502$1,625
Troup County1,138$83,713$1,610
Heard County134$80,120$1,541

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Georgia

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Georgia?

The median crane operator in Georgia earned $29.83 an hour ($62,050 a year) in May 2025, 9% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $23.53–$36.22; the top 10% earn more than $36.95.

Where does Georgia rank for crane operator pay?

Georgia ranks 35th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $29.83 an hour, and 40th after adjusting for Georgia's cost of living (BEA price parity 96.3, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Georgia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 159 counties, with a typical package of $54.61 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in Georgia?

BLS counted 1,370 crane and tower operators in Georgia in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.02; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Georgia and metro areas, SOC 53-7021.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.