Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Kansas

Median $37.07 an hour for 780 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$37.07/hrMedian hourly wageKansas, May data
$77,100/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.96 – $47.8410th to 90th percentilehourly range
780Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in Kansas: the full range

Wage percentiles, KansasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrKansas: 10th $23.96 · 25th $28.56 · median $37.07 · 75th $41.78 · 90th $47.84Kansas$37.07$23.96$47.84United 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: Kansas vs United States, May 2025.

Kansas ranks 18th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 10th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $41.14). 780 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.96 – $28.56$49,840 – $59,410roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$28.56 – $41.78$59,410 – $86,910the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$41.78 – $47.84$86,910 – $99,500the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Kansas

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrKansas City: $39.02Kansas City$39.02Wichita: $37.59Wichita$37.59
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in Kansas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Kansas City$19.57$39.02$46.043305% above
Wichita$29.00$37.59$42.073401% above

Crane operator wages in Kansas over time

Kansas, 1999-2025KansasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$37.07Kansas$32.73United States
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Kansas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKansas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.93$32.72$15.29130
2000$15.16$28.34$15.89440
2001$14.48$26.32$16.64410
2002$14.70$26.31$17.47390
2003$14.25$24.93$17.86460
2004$15.15$25.82$17.99360
2005$15.89$26.19$18.69390
2006$15.89$25.38$18.77320
2007$15.27$23.71$19.36390
2008$15.30$22.88$20.13350
2009$15.14$22.72$21.22300
2010$18.72$27.64$22.23300
2011$18.76$26.85$22.34370
2012$20.21$28.34$22.73570
2013$21.09$29.15$23.38480
2014$22.32$30.35$24.39390
2015$27.18$36.92$24.83320
2016$30.88$41.42$25.08410
2017$30.01$39.42$25.10470
2018$26.39$33.83$26.03590
2019$23.69$29.83$27.26650
2020$24.84$30.90$28.71730
2021$22.62$26.88$29.92390
2022$28.73$31.61$29.49460
2023$30.34$32.06$31.10390
2024$30.98$31.80$31.91620
2025$37.07$37.07$32.73780

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Kansas changed by +0.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Kansas

On federally funded construction in Kansas, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 6 of the 20 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $68.31 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $47.35). 14 of the 20 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Butler County at $47.35). The market median for the state is $37.07.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, KSAllen: —Anderson: —Atchison: —Barber: —Barton: —Bourbon: —Brown: —Butler: $47.35 (survey)Chase: —Chautauqua: —Cherokee: —Cheyenne: —Clark: —Clay: —Cloud: —Coffey: —Comanche: —Cowley: —Crawford: —Decatur: —Dickinson: —Doniphan: $47.35 (survey)Douglas: $47.35 (survey)Edwards: —Elk: —Ellis: —Ellsworth: —Finney: —Ford: —Franklin: $68.31 (union)Geary: $47.35 (survey)Gove: —Graham: —Grant: —Gray: —Greeley: —Greenwood: —Hamilton: —Harper: —Harvey: $47.35 (survey)Haskell: —Hodgeman: —Jackson: $47.35 (survey)Jefferson: $47.35 (survey)Jewell: —Johnson: $68.31 (union)Kearny: —Kingman: —Kiowa: —Labette: —Lane: —Leavenworth: $69.71 (union)Lincoln: —Linn: $69.71 (union)Logan: —Lyon: —McPherson: —Marion: —Marshall: —Meade: —Miami: $68.31 (union)Mitchell: —Montgomery: —Morris: —Morton: —Nemaha: —Neosho: —Ness: —Norton: —Osage: $47.35 (survey)Osborne: —Ottawa: —Pawnee: —Phillips: —Pottawatomie: $47.35 (survey)Pratt: —Rawlins: —Reno: —Republic: —Rice: —Riley: $47.35 (survey)Rooks: —Rush: —Russell: —Saline: —Scott: —Sedgwick: $47.35 (survey)Seward: —Shawnee: $47.35 (survey)Sheridan: —Sherman: —Smith: —Stafford: —Stanton: —Stevens: —Sumner: $47.35 (survey)Thomas: —Trego: —Wabaunsee: $47.35 (survey)Wallace: —Washington: —Wichita: —Wilson: —Woodson: —Wyandotte: $68.31 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$68.31n/asurvey 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)$30$40$50$60$70$80/hrLeavenworth (Kansas City): market median $39.02, prevailing (union) $69.71, gap +$30.69Leavenworth (Kansas City)+$30.69Doniphan (Kansas): market median $37.07, prevailing (survey) $47.35, gap +$10.28Doniphan (Kansas)+$10.28Butler (Wichita): market median $37.59, prevailing (survey) $47.35, gap +$9.76Butler (Wichita)+$9.76
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in Kansas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
LeavenworthUnion ENGI0101-043 2025-04-01$47.29$22.42$69.71KS20260053
LinnUnion ENGI0101-044 2025-04-01$47.29$22.42$69.71KS20260054
FranklinUnion ENGI0101-042 2025-04-01$45.89$22.42$68.31KS20260060
JohnsonUnion ENGI0101-042 2025-04-01$45.89$22.42$68.31KS20260052
MiamiUnion ENGI0101-042 2025-04-01$45.89$22.42$68.31KS20260060
WyandotteUnion ENGI0101-042 2025-04-01$45.89$22.42$68.31KS20260060
ButlerSurvey SUKS2015-015 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260046
DoniphanSurvey SUKS2015-016 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260047
DouglasSurvey SUKS2015-017 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260048
GearySurvey SUKS2015-018 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260049
HarveySurvey SUKS2015-019 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260050
JacksonSurvey SUKS2015-030 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260061
JeffersonSurvey SUKS2015-020 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260051
OsageSurvey SUKS2015-030 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260061
PottawatomieSurvey SUKS2015-024 2015-07-08$33.19$14.16$47.35KS20260055

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

Is construction work growing in Kansas?

79.3kConstruction jobsKansas, 2026-08
+4.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k1990199520002005201020152020202579kAug 2026
Construction employment in Kansas (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
Ellsworth County158$137,206$2,639
Harper County61$102,952$1,980
Wyandotte County4,490$89,815$1,727
Johnson County13,237$88,059$1,693
Gray County248$87,145$1,676
Wilson County163$82,348$1,584
Coffey County114$74,119$1,425
Shawnee County2,998$72,916$1,402
Geary County98$71,542$1,376
Linn County140$70,156$1,349
Lincoln County39$69,203$1,331
Reno County688$68,672$1,321

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kansas

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Kansas?

The median crane operator in Kansas earned $37.07 an hour ($77,100 a year) in May 2025, 13% above the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $28.56–$41.78; the top 10% earn more than $47.84.

Where does Kansas rank for crane operator pay?

Kansas ranks 18th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $37.07 an hour, and 10th after adjusting for Kansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Kansas?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 6 counties, with a typical package of $68.31 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in Kansas?

BLS counted 780 crane and tower operators in Kansas in May 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.96; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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