Crane operator salary in Nebraska
Median $29.19 an hour for 410 crane operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Crane operator pay in Nebraska: the full range
Nebraska ranks 41st of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 35th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.40). 410 crane operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.3× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.38 – $22.58 | $36,140 – $46,970 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.58 – $37.26 | $46,970 – $77,500 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $37.26 – $39.62 | $77,500 – $82,410 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Crane operator pay by metro in Nebraska
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | $23.74 | $37.26 | $40.68 | $48.40 | 100 | 28% above |
| Omaha | $23.14 | $33.12 | $36.04 | $39.62 | 150 | 13% above |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Crane operator wages in Nebraska over time
Table
| Year | Nebraska $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $14.32 | $27.67 | $15.29 | 160 |
| 2000 | $11.85 | $22.15 | $15.89 | 250 |
| 2001 | $12.89 | $23.43 | $16.64 | 270 |
| 2002 | $17.94 | $32.10 | $17.47 | 310 |
| 2003 | $17.91 | $31.34 | $17.86 | 320 |
| 2004 | $17.46 | $29.76 | $17.99 | 460 |
| 2005 | $14.25 | $23.49 | $18.69 | 210 |
| 2006 | $16.71 | $26.68 | $18.77 | 210 |
| 2007 | $21.77 | $33.80 | $19.36 | 200 |
| 2008 | $22.18 | $33.17 | $20.13 | 330 |
| 2009 | $20.60 | $30.91 | $21.22 | 250 |
| 2010 | $23.90 | $35.29 | $22.23 | 250 |
| 2011 | $24.26 | $34.72 | $22.34 | 210 |
| 2012 | $23.59 | $33.08 | $22.73 | 260 |
| 2013 | $19.14 | $26.45 | $23.38 | 220 |
| 2014 | $21.73 | $29.55 | $24.39 | 330 |
| 2015 | $22.26 | $30.24 | $24.83 | 300 |
| 2016 | $19.36 | $25.97 | $25.08 | 350 |
| 2017 | $19.84 | $26.06 | $25.10 | 280 |
| 2018 | $23.98 | $30.74 | $26.03 | 350 |
| 2019 | $26.50 | $33.37 | $27.26 | 380 |
| 2020 | $23.08 | $28.71 | $28.71 | 550 |
| 2021 | $23.63 | $28.08 | $29.92 | 340 |
| 2022 | $31.43 | $34.58 | $29.49 | 390 |
| 2023 | $32.64 | $34.49 | $31.10 | 320 |
| 2024 | $32.11 | $32.95 | $31.91 | 290 |
| 2025 | $29.19 | $29.19 | $32.73 | 410 |
In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Nebraska changed by -3.5% over the last ten years of data and by -12.5% since 2019.
Are there more crane operator jobs in Nebraska?
BLS counted 410 crane operators in Nebraska in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 15%. 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 Nebraska
Nebraska's labor market agency projects the number of crane operators in the state to change by +7.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 280 to 300, with about 30 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 410 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Nebraska labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Nebraska
On federally funded construction in Nebraska, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 9 of the 9 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $55.13 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $29.19.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260056 |
| Dakota | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260063 |
| Dixon | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260063 |
| Douglas | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260057 |
| Lancaster | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260058 |
| Sarpy | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260059 |
| Saunders | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260060 |
| Seward | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260061 |
| Washington | Union ENGI0571-004 2024-10-01 | $36.44 | $18.69 | $55.13 | NE20260062 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Nebraska prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Nebraska?
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 58 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 30,915 in 2015 to 40,806 in 2025, +32.0%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarpy County | 525 | 7,555 | $74,555 | $1,434 |
| Douglas County | 1,346 | 14,088 | $73,877 | $1,421 |
| Washington County | 90 | 558 | $70,250 | $1,351 |
| Adams County | 66 | 671 | $69,388 | $1,334 |
| Hamilton County | 32 | 220 | $67,950 | $1,307 |
| Dodge County | 86 | 639 | $67,910 | $1,306 |
| Lancaster County | 766 | 7,227 | $67,672 | $1,301 |
| Lincoln County | 70 | 597 | $67,340 | $1,295 |
| Platte County | 88 | 789 | $67,272 | $1,294 |
| Merrick County | 20 | 117 | $66,920 | $1,287 |
| Antelope County | 8 | 39 | $66,896 | $1,286 |
| Phelps County | 24 | 177 | $64,452 | $1,239 |
| Saunders County | 73 | 420 | $63,290 | $1,217 |
| Dakota County | 34 | 282 | $62,950 | $1,211 |
| Sheridan County | 4 | 9 | $62,708 | $1,206 |
| York County | 42 | 223 | $62,411 | $1,200 |
| Hall County | 182 | 1,483 | $61,806 | $1,189 |
| Colfax County | 18 | 102 | $61,731 | $1,187 |
| Gosper County | 6 | 26 | $61,379 | $1,180 |
| Seward County | 48 | 321 | $60,799 | $1,169 |
| Buffalo County | 151 | 951 | $60,271 | $1,159 |
| Jefferson County | 26 | 164 | $60,090 | $1,156 |
| Madison County | 84 | 586 | $59,660 | $1,147 |
| Cuming County | 21 | 119 | $59,315 | $1,141 |
| Box Butte County | 19 | 103 | $57,998 | $1,115 |
| Butler County | 18 | 106 | $57,260 | $1,101 |
| Pierce County | 20 | 106 | $57,172 | $1,099 |
| Otoe County | 38 | 169 | $56,517 | $1,087 |
| Scotts Bluff County | 75 | 630 | $56,405 | $1,085 |
| Boone County | 15 | 60 | $56,374 | $1,084 |
| Cass County | 85 | 445 | $56,346 | $1,084 |
| Dawson County | 36 | 250 | $56,302 | $1,083 |
| Clay County | 11 | 52 | $55,589 | $1,069 |
| Nuckolls County | 7 | 31 | $54,839 | $1,055 |
| Nemaha County | 14 | 45 | $53,274 | $1,024 |
| Cedar County | 24 | 120 | $52,326 | $1,006 |
| Gage County | 66 | 273 | $52,247 | $1,005 |
| Red Willow County | 24 | 109 | $52,023 | $1,000 |
| Cherry County | 17 | 75 | $50,960 | $980 |
| Saline County | 21 | 96 | $50,349 | $968 |
| Stanton County | 7 | 27 | $50,202 | $965 |
| Cheyenne County | 7 | 37 | $49,248 | $947 |
| Perkins County | 9 | 31 | $48,366 | $930 |
| Brown County | 10 | 51 | $47,405 | $912 |
| Holt County | 22 | 60 | $46,845 | $901 |
| Burt County | 20 | 53 | $46,573 | $896 |
| Sherman County | 5 | 14 | $46,348 | $891 |
| Chase County | 12 | 60 | $46,302 | $890 |
| Valley County | 14 | 44 | $45,943 | $884 |
| Nance County | 5 | 9 | $45,888 | $882 |
| Custer County | 26 | 90 | $44,083 | $848 |
| Dawes County | 16 | 56 | $43,505 | $837 |
| Thayer County | 15 | 43 | $41,637 | $801 |
| Kearney County | 16 | 56 | $40,852 | $786 |
| Greeley County | 10 | 30 | $40,352 | $776 |
| Wayne County | 13 | 53 | $40,234 | $774 |
| Howard County | 16 | 45 | $40,164 | $772 |
| Webster County | 8 | 19 | $38,037 | $731 |
| Johnson County | 12 | 30 | $37,952 | $730 |
| Keith County | 19 | 41 | $36,686 | $706 |
| Knox County | 25 | 49 | $36,623 | $704 |
| Richardson County | 17 | 41 | $31,541 | $607 |
| Blaine County | — | — | — | — |
| Boyd County | — | — | — | — |
| Dixon County | — | — | — | — |
| Dundy County | — | — | — | — |
| Fillmore County | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | — | — | — | — |
| Frontier County | — | — | — | — |
| Furnas County | — | — | — | — |
| Garden County | — | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | — | — | — | — |
| Harlan County | — | — | — | — |
| Hitchcock County | — | — | — | — |
| Hooker County | — | — | — | — |
| Keya Paha County | — | — | — | — |
| Kimball County | — | — | — | — |
| Logan County | — | — | — | — |
| Morrill County | — | — | — | — |
| Pawnee County | — | — | — | — |
| Polk County | — | — | — | — |
| Rock County | — | — | — | — |
| Thomas County | — | — | — | — |
| Thurston County | — | — | — | — |
Keep comparing
Crane operator pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Nebraska
More on Nebraska
Questions this page answers
How much do crane operators make in Nebraska?
The median crane operator in Nebraska earned $29.19 an hour ($60,720 a year) in May 2025, 11% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $22.58–$37.26; the top 10% earn more than $39.62.
Where does Nebraska rank for crane operator pay?
Nebraska ranks 41st of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $29.19 an hour, and 35th after adjusting for Nebraska's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).
What is the union crane operator rate in Nebraska?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 9 counties, with a typical package of $55.13 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many crane operators work in Nebraska?
BLS counted 410 crane operators in Nebraska in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.44; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is crane operator work growing in Nebraska?
Nebraska's labor market agency projects +7.4% growth for crane operators between 2024 and 2034, from 280 to 300 jobs.
How many crane operator openings a year are there in Nebraska?
Nebraska projects about 30 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, Nebraska 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: Nebraska labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.