Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Louisiana

Median $29.41 an hour for 1,930 crane operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.41/hrMedian hourly wageLouisiana, May data
$61,170/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.81 – $39.7210th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,930Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Crane operator pay in Louisiana: the full range

Wage percentiles, LouisianaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrLouisiana: 10th $21.81 · 25th $25.05 · median $29.41 · 75th $36.51 · 90th $39.72Louisiana$29.41$21.81$39.72United States: 10th $20.50 · 25th $25.29 · median $32.73 · 75th $40.00 · 90th $49.79United States$32.73
Hourly wage percentiles for crane operators: Louisiana vs United States, May 2025.

Louisiana ranks 39th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 26th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.34). 1,930 crane operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$21.81 – $25.05$45,370 – $52,100roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$25.05 – $36.51$52,100 – $75,940the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$36.51 – $39.72$75,940 – $82,620the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Louisiana

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrSlidell: $38.80Slidell$38.80Baton Rouge: $32.06Baton Rouge$32.06New Orleans: $31.49New Orleans$31.49Lafayette: $28.26Lafayette$28.26Houma: $27.52Houma$27.52Monroe: $26.81Monroe$26.81Shreveport: $23.11Shreveport$23.11
Median hourly wage for crane operators by metro area in Louisiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Slidell$25.27$38.80$41.86$39.974032% above
Baton Rouge$23.33$32.06$35.31$40.375609% above
New Orleans$23.58$31.49$34.01$40.464207% above
Lafayette$21.29$28.26$32.41$37.201004% below
Houma$21.92$27.52$32.34$37.163006% below
Monroe$14.00$26.81$32.07$36.82409% below
Shreveport$17.37$23.11$27.25$38.0612021% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Crane operator wages in Louisiana over time

Louisiana, 1999-2025LouisianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$29.41Louisiana
Median hourly wage for crane operators, Louisiana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearLouisiana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.99$27.03$15.292,730
2000$13.95$26.08$15.892,320
2001$15.21$27.65$16.642,220
2002$15.97$28.58$17.472,190
2003$15.82$27.68$17.861,860
2004$16.14$27.51$17.992,230
2005$16.24$26.77$18.692,150
2006$16.86$26.92$18.771,860
2007$19.01$29.52$19.362,080
2008$19.18$28.68$20.132,290
2009$19.81$29.73$21.222,430
2010$19.46$28.73$22.232,740
2011$20.35$29.13$22.343,060
2012$21.53$30.19$22.734,640
2013$22.95$31.72$23.383,980
2014$22.15$30.12$24.394,360
2015$22.31$30.30$24.833,350
2016$21.82$29.27$25.083,110
2017$23.34$30.65$25.103,010
2018$23.81$30.53$26.032,890
2019$26.33$33.16$27.262,600
2020$28.06$34.90$28.711,890
2021$25.68$30.51$29.922,090
2022$29.83$32.82$29.491,810
2023$30.47$32.19$31.101,740
2024$29.39$30.16$31.911,750
2025$29.41$29.41$32.731,930

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Louisiana changed by -2.9% over the last ten years of data and by -11.3% since 2019.

Are there more crane operator jobs in Louisiana?

1.0Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 3.6× the US share, 1st of 47 states

BLS counted 1,930 crane operators in Louisiana in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 12%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for crane operators in Louisiana

+3.4%Projected growth in Louisiana2024–2034, state agency
160Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
1,780Jobs in 20241,840 projected for 2034
+3.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Louisiana's labor market agency projects the number of crane operators in the state to change by +3.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,780 to 1,840, with about 160 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,930 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Louisiana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Louisiana

On federally funded construction in Louisiana, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 35 of the 35 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $31.81 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $29.41.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, LAAcadia: $31.81 (union)Allen: n/aAscension: $31.81 (union)Assumption: n/aAvoyelles: n/aBeauregard: n/aBienville: n/aBossier: $31.81 (union)Caddo: $31.81 (union)Calcasieu: $31.81 (union)Caldwell: n/aCameron: $31.81 (union)Catahoula: n/aClaiborne: n/aConcordia: n/aDe Soto: $31.81 (union)East Baton Rouge: $31.81 (union)East Carroll: n/aEast Feliciana: $31.81 (union)Evangeline: n/aFranklin: n/aGrant: $31.81 (union)Iberia: $31.81 (union)Iberville: $31.81 (union)Jackson: n/aJefferson: $31.81 (union)Jefferson Davis: n/aLafayette: $31.81 (union)Lafourche: $31.81 (union)LaSalle: n/aLincoln: n/aLivingston: $31.81 (union)Madison: n/aMorehouse: n/aNatchitoches: n/aOrleans: $31.81 (union)Ouachita: $31.81 (union)Plaquemines: $31.81 (union)Pointe Coupee: $31.81 (union)Rapides: $31.81 (union)Red River: n/aRichland: n/aSabine: n/aSt. Bernard: $31.81 (union)St. Charles: $31.81 (union)St. Helena: $31.81 (union)St. James: $31.81 (union)St. John the Baptist: $31.81 (union)St. Landry: n/aSt. Martin: $31.81 (union)St. Mary: n/aSt. Tammany: $31.81 (union)Tangipahoa: $31.81 (union)Tensas: n/aTerrebonne: $31.81 (union)Union: $31.81 (union)Vermilion: $31.81 (union)Vernon: n/aWashington: n/aWebster: $31.81 (union)West Baton Rouge: $31.81 (union)West Carroll: n/aWest Feliciana: $31.81 (union)Winn: n/aUnion / prevailing package, $/hrn/a
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)$20$25$30$35$40$45/hrBossier (Shreveport): market median $23.11, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap +$8.70Bossier (Shreveport)+$8.70Ouachita (Monroe): market median $26.81, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap +$5.00Ouachita (Monroe)+$5.00Lafourche (Houma): market median $27.52, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap +$4.29Lafourche (Houma)+$4.29Acadia (Lafayette): market median $28.26, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap +$3.55Acadia (Lafayette)+$3.55Calcasieu (Louisiana): market median $29.41, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap +$2.40Calcasieu (Louisiana)+$2.40Jefferson (New Orleans): market median $31.49, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap +$0.32Jefferson (New Orleans)+$0.32Ascension (Baton Rouge): market median $32.06, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap −$0.25Ascension (Baton Rouge)−$0.25St. Tammany (Slidell): market median $38.80, prevailing (union) $31.81, gap −$6.99St. Tammany (Slidell)−$6.99
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in Louisiana.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AcadiaUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260029
AscensionUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260049
BossierUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260030
CaddoUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260031
CalcasieuUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260032
CameronUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260033
De SotoUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260034
East Baton RougeUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260035
East FelicianaUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260050
GrantUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260051
IberiaUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260036
IbervilleUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260037
JeffersonUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260038
LafayetteUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260039
LafourcheUnion ENGI0406-002 2014-07-01$23.46$8.35$31.81LA20260040

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Louisiana prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Louisiana?

153.5kConstruction jobsLouisiana, 2026-09
+13.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202680k100k120k140k160k180k19901995200020052010201520202025154kSep 2026
Construction employment in Louisiana (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. Across the 51 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 67,056 in 2015 to 63,797 in 2025, -4.9%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Orleans Parish3511,940$129,981$2,500
Plaquemines Parish541,000$122,438$2,355
Iberville Parish42527$82,977$1,596
West Baton Rouge Parish661,740$81,977$1,576
St. Bernard Parish81527$81,535$1,568
Richland Parish42251$81,506$1,567
East Baton Rouge Parish89310,058$80,106$1,540
St. John the Baptist Parish62792$77,555$1,491
St. Charles Parish1171,574$75,983$1,461
Grant Parish29171$75,937$1,460
St. Mary Parish74567$73,867$1,421
Ascension Parish2564,057$73,040$1,405

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Louisiana

More on Louisiana

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Louisiana?

The median crane operator in Louisiana earned $29.41 an hour ($61,170 a year) in May 2025, 10% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $25.05–$36.51; the top 10% earn more than $39.72.

Where does Louisiana rank for crane operator pay?

Louisiana ranks 39th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $29.41 an hour, and 26th after adjusting for Louisiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.2, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Louisiana?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 35 counties, with a typical package of $31.81 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in Louisiana?

BLS counted 1,930 crane operators in Louisiana in May 2025, 1.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 3.61; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is crane operator work growing in Louisiana?

Louisiana's labor market agency projects +3.4% growth for crane operators between 2024 and 2034, from 1,780 to 1,840 jobs.

How many crane operator openings a year are there in Louisiana?

Louisiana projects about 160 openings a year for crane operators over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 3,500 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisiana and metro areas, SOC 53-7021. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Louisiana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.