Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Iowa

Median $32.50 an hour for 650 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$32.50/hrMedian hourly wageIowa, May data
$67,600/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.83 – $40.2110th to 90th percentilehourly range
650Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in Iowa: the full range

Wage percentiles, IowaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrIowa: 10th $22.83 · 25th $26.88 · median $32.50 · 75th $39.00 · 90th $40.21Iowa$32.50$22.83$40.21United 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: Iowa vs United States, May 2025.

Iowa ranks 24th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 18th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $37.02). 650 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$22.83 – $26.88$47,480 – $55,910roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$26.88 – $39.00$55,910 – $81,130the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$39.00 – $40.21$81,130 – $83,650the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Iowa

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDes Moines: $36.42Des Moines$36.42Davenport: $33.30Davenport$33.30Omaha: $33.12Omaha$33.12Waterloo: $28.90Waterloo$28.90Dubuque: $23.91Dubuque$23.91
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in Iowa, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Des Moines$23.73$36.42$42.919012% above
Davenport$18.75$33.30$57.261102% above
Omaha$23.14$33.12$39.621502% above
Waterloo$28.88$28.90$38.534011% below
Dubuque$23.91$23.91$34.79—26% below

Crane operator wages in Iowa over time

Iowa, 1999-2025IowaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$32.50Iowa
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Iowa vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIowa $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.79$32.45$15.29660
2000$16.73$31.28$15.89940
2001$18.62$33.85$16.64850
2002$17.73$31.73$17.47670
2003$18.62$32.58$17.86630
2004$17.62$30.03$17.99500
2005$17.95$29.59$18.69420
2006$19.35$30.90$18.77560
2007$19.55$30.36$19.36640
2008$21.03$31.45$20.13910
2009$21.68$32.53$21.22660
2010$22.04$32.54$22.23510
2011$23.20$33.20$22.34510
2012$23.62$33.12$22.73540
2013$23.97$33.13$23.38540
2014$22.18$30.16$24.39690
2015$21.63$29.38$24.83800
2016$23.02$30.88$25.08950
2017$26.32$34.57$25.10860
2018$26.43$33.89$26.03800
2019$26.83$33.79$27.26610
2020$26.17$32.55$28.71550
2021$29.86$35.48$29.92330
2022$27.84$30.63$29.49280
2023$28.45$30.06$31.10560
2024$26.74$27.44$31.91570
2025$32.50$32.50$32.73650

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Iowa changed by +10.6% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Iowa

On federally funded construction in Iowa, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 42 of the 99 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $58.87 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $27.92). 57 of the 99 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Allamakee County at $27.92). The market median for the state is $32.50.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, IAAdair: $58.87 (union)Adams: $58.87 (union)Allamakee: $27.92 (survey)Appanoose: $58.87 (union)Audubon: $58.87 (union)Benton: $32.25 (survey)Black Hawk: $32.25 (survey)Boone: $58.87 (union)Bremer: $32.25 (survey)Buchanan: $27.92 (survey)Buena Vista: $27.92 (survey)Butler: $27.92 (survey)Calhoun: $27.92 (survey)Carroll: $52.89 (union)Cass: $58.87 (union)Cedar: $84.75 (union)Cerro Gordo: $27.92 (survey)Cherokee: $27.92 (survey)Chickasaw: $27.92 (survey)Clarke: $58.87 (union)Clay: $27.92 (survey)Clayton: $27.92 (survey)Clinton: $84.75 (union)Crawford: $52.89 (union)Dallas: $34.83 (survey)Davis: $58.87 (union)Decatur: $52.89 (union)Delaware: $27.92 (survey)Des Moines: $84.75 (union)Dickinson: $27.92 (survey)Dubuque: $32.25 (survey)Emmet: $27.92 (survey)Fayette: $27.92 (survey)Floyd: $27.92 (survey)Franklin: $27.92 (survey)Fremont: $52.89 (union)Greene: $52.89 (union)Grundy: $32.25 (survey)Guthrie: $34.83 (survey)Hamilton: $27.92 (survey)Hancock: $27.92 (survey)Hardin: $27.92 (survey)Harrison: $33.82 (survey)Henry: $59.10 (union)Howard: $27.92 (survey)Humboldt: $27.92 (survey)Ida: $27.92 (survey)Iowa: $59.10 (union)Jackson: $59.10 (union)Jasper: $58.87 (union)Jefferson: $59.10 (union)Johnson: $32.25 (survey)Jones: $32.25 (survey)Keokuk: $59.10 (union)Kossuth: $27.92 (survey)Lee: $84.75 (union)Linn: $32.25 (survey)Louisa: $59.10 (union)Lucas: $52.89 (union)Lyon: $27.92 (survey)Madison: $34.83 (survey)Mahaska: $59.10 (union)Marion: $58.87 (union)Marshall: $59.10 (union)Mills: $33.82 (survey)Mitchell: $27.92 (survey)Monona: $52.89 (union)Monroe: $59.10 (union)Montgomery: $52.89 (union)Muscatine: $84.75 (union)O'Brien: $27.92 (survey)Osceola: $27.92 (survey)Page: $58.87 (union)Palo Alto: $27.92 (survey)Plymouth: $27.92 (survey)Pocahontas: $27.92 (survey)Polk: $34.83 (survey)Pottawattamie: $33.82 (survey)Poweshiek: $59.10 (union)Ringgold: $52.89 (union)Sac: $27.92 (survey)Scott: $32.25 (survey)Shelby: $52.89 (union)Sioux: $27.92 (survey)Story: $34.83 (survey)Tama: $59.10 (union)Taylor: $52.89 (union)Union: $58.87 (union)Van Buren: $59.10 (union)Wapello: $58.87 (union)Warren: $34.83 (survey)Washington: $32.25 (survey)Wayne: $52.89 (union)Webster: $27.92 (survey)Winnebago: $27.92 (survey)Winneshiek: $27.92 (survey)Woodbury: $33.82 (survey)Worth: $27.92 (survey)Wright: $27.92 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$32.25$52.89$58.87survey rate
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)Prevailing (survey)$20$40$60$80/hrBoone (Iowa): market median $32.50, prevailing (union) $58.87, gap +$26.37Boone (Iowa)+$26.37Jasper (Des Moines): market median $36.42, prevailing (union) $58.87, gap +$22.45Jasper (Des Moines)+$22.45Dubuque (Dubuque): market median $23.91, prevailing (survey) $32.25, gap +$8.34Dubuque (Dubuque)+$8.34Black Hawk (Waterloo): market median $28.90, prevailing (survey) $32.25, gap +$3.35Black Hawk (Waterloo)+$3.35Harrison (Omaha): market median $33.12, prevailing (survey) $33.82, gap +$0.70Harrison (Omaha)+$0.70Scott (Davenport): market median $33.30, prevailing (survey) $32.25, gap −$1.05Scott (Davenport)−$1.05
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in Iowa.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CedarUnion ENGI0150-037 2025-06-01$43.50$41.25$84.75IA20260036
ClintonUnion ENGI0150-037 2025-06-01$43.50$41.25$84.75IA20260038
Des MoinesUnion ENGI0150-037 2025-06-01$43.50$41.25$84.75IA20260041
LeeUnion ENGI0150-037 2025-06-01$43.50$41.25$84.75IA20260047
MuscatineUnion ENGI0150-037 2025-06-01$43.50$41.25$84.75IA20260050
HenryUnion ENGI0234-025 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260061
IowaUnion ENGI0234-019 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260045
JacksonUnion ENGI0234-025 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260061
JeffersonUnion ENGI0234-025 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260061
KeokukUnion ENGI0234-025 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260061
LouisaUnion ENGI0234-025 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260061
MahaskaUnion ENGI0234-025 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260061
MarshallUnion ENGI0234-019 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260049
MonroeUnion ENGI0234-025 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260061
PoweshiekUnion ENGI0234-019 2025-05-01$40.75$18.35$59.10IA20260052

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

Is construction work growing in Iowa?

93.8kConstruction jobsIowa, 2026-08
+3.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202594kAug 2026
Construction employment in Iowa (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
Crawford County235$89,187$1,715
Sioux County1,658$88,688$1,706
Scott County4,874$86,416$1,662
Ringgold County83$83,981$1,615
Polk County15,121$83,791$1,611
Linn County6,073$79,926$1,537
Lee County771$79,246$1,524
Jefferson County168$77,394$1,488
Woodbury County2,137$76,259$1,467
Pottawattamie County1,528$76,138$1,464
Webster County663$74,914$1,441
Cass County173$73,664$1,417

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Iowa

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Iowa?

The median crane operator in Iowa earned $32.50 an hour ($67,600 a year) in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $26.88–$39.00; the top 10% earn more than $40.21.

Where does Iowa rank for crane operator pay?

Iowa ranks 24th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $32.50 an hour, and 18th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Iowa?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 42 counties, with a typical package of $58.87 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in Iowa?

BLS counted 650 crane and tower operators in Iowa in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.52; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Iowa 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.