Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Montana

Median $39.81 an hour for 30 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$39.81/hrMedian hourly wageMontana, May data
$82,800/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.99 – $48.9710th to 90th percentilehourly range
30Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in Montana: the full range

Wage percentiles, MontanaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrMontana: 10th $24.99 · 25th $35.66 · median $39.81 · 75th $46.08 · 90th $48.97Montana$39.81$24.99$48.97United 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: Montana vs United States, May 2025.

Montana ranks 12th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 9th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $42.08). 30 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$24.99 – $35.66$51,970 – $74,170roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$35.66 – $46.08$74,170 – $95,840the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$46.08 – $48.97$95,840 – $101,860the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator wages in Montana over time

Montana, 1999-2025MontanaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$5020002010201520202025$39.81Montana$32.73United States
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Montana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMontana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.88$28.75$15.2970
2000$19.40$36.27$15.8960
2001$19.67$35.76$16.6480
2002$18.84$33.72$17.47200
2003$17.96$31.42$17.86190
2004$17.31$29.50$17.9980
2006$22.64$36.15$18.7760
2007$18.49$28.71$19.36110
2008$15.40$23.03$20.1370
2009$23.61$35.43$21.2280
2010$25.38$37.47$22.2390
2011$25.58$36.61$22.34110
2012$26.90$37.72$22.7390
2013$33.03$45.65$23.38120
2014$33.03$44.92$24.39130
2015$32.72$44.44$24.83160
2016$30.32$40.67$25.08190
2017$31.48$41.35$25.10180
2018$31.77$40.73$26.03220
2019$26.51$33.38$27.26100
2020$33.86$42.12$28.71170
2021$30.51$36.25$29.92130
2022$32.63$35.90$29.49120
2023$33.00$34.87$31.10120
2024$44.00$45.16$31.9190
2025$39.81$39.81$32.7330

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Montana changed by -10.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Montana

On federally funded construction in Montana, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 40 of the 52 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $54.20 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $31.45). 12 of the 52 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Beaverhead County at $31.45). The market median for the state is $39.81.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MTBeaverhead: $31.45 (survey)Big Horn: $54.20 (union)Blaine: $54.20 (union)Broadwater: $31.45 (survey)Carbon: —Carter: $54.20 (union)Cascade: —Chouteau: $54.20 (union)Custer: $54.20 (union)Daniels: $54.20 (union)Dawson: $54.20 (union)Deer Lodge: $31.45 (survey)Fallon: $54.20 (union)Fergus: $54.20 (union)Flathead: $54.20 (union)Gallatin: $31.45 (survey)Garfield: $54.20 (union)Glacier: $54.20 (union)Golden Valley: $54.20 (union)Granite: $31.45 (survey)Hill: $54.20 (union)Jefferson: $31.45 (survey)Judith Basin: $54.20 (union)Lake: $54.20 (union)Lewis and Clark: $31.45 (survey)Liberty: $54.20 (union)Lincoln: $54.20 (union)McCone: $54.20 (union)Madison: $31.45 (survey)Meagher: $31.45 (survey)Mineral: $54.20 (union)Missoula: —Musselshell: $54.20 (union)Park: $31.45 (survey)Petroleum: $54.20 (union)Phillips: $54.20 (union)Pondera: $54.20 (union)Powder River: $54.20 (union)Powell: $31.45 (survey)Prairie: $54.20 (union)Ravalli: $54.20 (union)Richland: $54.20 (union)Roosevelt: $54.20 (union)Rosebud: $54.20 (union)Sanders: $54.20 (union)Sheridan: $54.20 (union)Silver Bow: $31.45 (survey)Stillwater: $54.20 (union)Sweet Grass: $54.20 (union)Teton: $54.20 (union)Toole: $54.20 (union)Treasure: $54.20 (union)Valley: $54.20 (union)Wheatland: $54.20 (union)Wibaux: $54.20 (union)Yellowstone: —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
Big HornUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260056
BlaineUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260026
CarterUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260057
ChouteauUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260058
CusterUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260057
DanielsUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260028
DawsonUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260029
FallonUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260057
FergusUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260031
FlatheadUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260032
GarfieldUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260057
GlacierUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260034
Golden ValleyUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260035
HillUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260037
Judith BasinUnion ENGI0400-003 2025-05-01$38.00$16.20$54.20MT20260058

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

Is construction work growing in Montana?

39.8kConstruction jobsMontana, 2026-08
+0.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k10k20k30k40k50k1990199520002005201020152020202540kAug 2026
Construction employment in Montana (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
Rosebud County224$111,779$2,150
Deer Lodge County89$80,074$1,540
Richland County183$76,715$1,475
Gallatin County4,678$76,500$1,471
Fallon County38$75,006$1,442
Yellowstone County3,479$70,706$1,360
Cascade County1,496$70,021$1,347
Missoula County2,454$69,524$1,337
Park County393$68,962$1,326
Lewis and Clark County1,250$67,413$1,296
Silver Bow County396$65,372$1,257
Custer County114$65,154$1,253

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Montana

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Montana?

The median crane operator in Montana earned $39.81 an hour ($82,800 a year) in May 2025, 22% above the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $35.66–$46.08; the top 10% earn more than $48.97.

Where does Montana rank for crane operator pay?

Montana ranks 12th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $39.81 an hour, and 9th after adjusting for Montana's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.6, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Montana?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 40 counties, with a typical package of $54.20 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in Montana?

BLS counted 30 crane and tower operators in Montana in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.25; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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