Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Maine

Median $31.58 an hour for 360 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$31.58/hrMedian hourly wageMaine, May data
$65,690/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.78 – $43.6210th to 90th percentilehourly range
360Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in Maine: the full range

Wage percentiles, MaineMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrMaine: 10th $21.78 · 25th $23.66 · median $31.58 · 75th $37.24 · 90th $43.62Maine$31.58$21.78$43.62United 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: Maine vs United States, May 2025.

Maine ranks 28th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 33rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.56). 360 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.78 – $23.66$45,310 – $49,200roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.66 – $37.24$49,200 – $77,460the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$37.24 – $43.62$77,460 – $90,730the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Maine

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPortland: $35.89Portland$35.89Lewiston: $35.60Lewiston$35.60Bangor: $22.38Bangor$22.38
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in Maine, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Portland$28.86$35.89$45.7217014% above
Lewiston$22.36$35.60$42.103013% above
Bangor$20.56$22.38$34.684029% below

Crane operator wages in Maine over time

Maine, 1999-2025MaineUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$31.58Maine
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Maine vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMaine $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.80$30.53$15.29430
2000$16.36$30.59$15.89310
2001$16.56$30.10$16.64310
2002$17.08$30.57$17.47280
2003$18.16$31.77$17.86220
2004$18.01$30.69$17.99260
2005$18.38$30.30$18.69300
2006$17.94$28.65$18.77300
2007$20.16$31.30$19.36240
2008$22.73$33.99$20.13220
2009$23.77$35.67$21.22260
2010$24.30$35.88$22.23260
2011$23.75$33.99$22.34270
2012$24.34$34.13$22.73230
2013$23.47$32.44$23.38260
2014$24.02$32.67$24.39260
2015$23.53$31.96$24.83210
2016$25.09$33.66$25.08190
2017$25.07$32.93$25.10290
2018$25.37$32.53$26.03320
2019$25.68$32.34$27.26370
2020$26.10$32.47$28.71300
2021$28.90$34.34$29.92340
2022$27.00$29.70$29.49330
2023$29.87$31.56$31.10300
2024$29.48$30.26$31.91430
2025$31.58$31.58$32.73360

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Maine changed by -1.2% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Maine

On federally funded construction in Maine, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 11 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $31.44). 11 of the 11 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Aroostook County at $30.15). The market median for the state is $31.58.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MEAndroscoggin: —Aroostook: $30.15 (survey)Cumberland: —Franklin: $31.44 (survey)Hancock: $30.15 (survey)Kennebec: $31.44 (survey)Knox: $31.44 (survey)Lincoln: $31.44 (survey)Oxford: $31.44 (survey)Penobscot: —Piscataquis: $30.15 (survey)Sagadahoc: —Somerset: $31.44 (survey)Waldo: $31.44 (survey)Washington: $30.15 (survey)York: —Union / prevailing package, $/hrn/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for crane operators by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
FranklinSurvey SUME2014-016 2017-01-31$23.98$7.46$31.44ME20260007
KennebecSurvey SUME2014-018 2017-01-31$23.98$7.46$31.44ME20260009
KnoxSurvey SUME2014-019 2017-01-31$23.98$7.46$31.44ME20260010
LincolnSurvey SUME2014-023 2017-01-31$23.98$7.46$31.44ME20260014
OxfordSurvey SUME2014-023 2017-01-31$23.98$7.46$31.44ME20260014
SomersetSurvey SUME2014-021 2017-01-31$23.98$7.46$31.44ME20260012
WaldoSurvey SUME2014-023 2017-01-31$23.98$7.46$31.44ME20260014
AroostookSurvey SUME2014-015 2017-01-31$24.07$6.08$30.15ME20260006
HancockSurvey SUME2014-017 2017-01-31$24.07$6.08$30.15ME20260008
PiscataquisSurvey SUME2014-020 2017-01-31$24.07$6.08$30.15ME20260011
WashingtonSurvey SUME2014-022 2017-01-31$24.07$6.08$30.15ME20260013

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

Is construction work growing in Maine?

36.9kConstruction jobsMaine, 2026-08
-0.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202610k20k30k40k1990199520002005201020152020202537kAug 2026
Construction employment in Maine (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
Cumberland County6,379$81,283$1,563
Androscoggin County2,515$76,181$1,465
Penobscot County2,673$74,649$1,436
Kennebec County1,887$67,949$1,307
York County2,786$67,273$1,294
Aroostook County638$65,825$1,266
Somerset County583$65,115$1,252
Franklin County414$61,850$1,189
Waldo County568$60,329$1,160
Sagadahoc County474$60,170$1,157
Hancock County1,041$60,086$1,155
Knox County616$59,495$1,144

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Maine

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Maine?

The median crane operator in Maine earned $31.58 an hour ($65,690 a year) in May 2025, 4% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $23.66–$37.24; the top 10% earn more than $43.62.

Where does Maine rank for crane operator pay?

Maine ranks 28th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $31.58 an hour, and 33rd after adjusting for Maine's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.0, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Maine?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a crane operator classification for most Maine counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many crane operators work in Maine?

BLS counted 360 crane and tower operators in Maine in May 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.03; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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