Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Nevada

Median $55.69 an hour for 380 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$55.69/hrMedian hourly wageNevada, May data
$115,840/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$29.55 – $64.9110th to 90th percentilehourly range
380Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in Nevada: the full range

Wage percentiles, NevadaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrNevada: 10th $29.55 · 25th $48.21 · median $55.69 · 75th $64.90 · 90th $64.91Nevada$55.69$29.55$64.91United 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: Nevada vs United States, May 2025.

Nevada ranks 2nd of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 1st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $55.69). 380 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$29.55 – $48.21$61,460 – $100,280roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$48.21 – $64.90$100,280 – $135,000the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$64.90 – $64.91$135,000 – $135,000the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Nevada

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60$80/hrLas Vegas: $63.31Las Vegas$63.31Reno: $48.64Reno$48.64
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in Nevada, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Las Vegas$33.83$63.31$64.91—14% above
Reno$29.07$48.64$57.53—13% below

Crane operator wages in Nevada over time

Nevada, 1999-2025NevadaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$20$40$60$80200020052010201520202025$55.69Nevada$32.73United States
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Nevada vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNevada $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$22.49$43.46$15.29—
2000$25.21$47.13$15.89—
2001$24.45$44.45$16.64250
2002$24.18$43.27$17.47290
2003$24.79$43.37$17.86320
2004$28.02$47.75$17.99—
2005$29.07$47.92$18.69240
2006$33.13$52.91$18.77550
2007$33.76$52.42$19.36480
2008$30.83$46.10$20.13510
2009$33.04$49.58$21.22220
2010$33.26$49.11$22.23230
2011$31.38$44.91$22.34270
2012$33.74$47.31$22.73290
2013$35.07$48.47$23.38280
2014$30.32$41.23$24.39320
2015$27.37$37.18$24.83320
2016$29.55$39.64$25.08410
2017$31.43$41.28$25.10300
2018$33.67$43.17$26.03420
2019$34.12$42.97$27.26240
2020$39.66$49.33$28.71220
2021$47.18$56.06$29.92440
2022$47.92$52.72$29.49300
2023$54.43$57.51$31.10180
2024$62.47$64.11$31.91—
2025$55.69$55.69$32.73380

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Nevada changed by +49.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Nevada

On federally funded construction in Nevada, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 17 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $87.93). The market median for the state is $55.69.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NVChurchill: $87.93 (survey)Clark: $109.57 (survey)Douglas: $87.93 (survey)Elko: $87.93 (survey)Esmeralda: $109.57 (survey)Eureka: $87.93 (survey)Humboldt: $87.93 (survey)Lander: $87.93 (survey)Lincoln: $109.57 (survey)Lyon: $87.93 (survey)Mineral: $87.93 (survey)Nye: $109.57 (survey)Pershing: $87.93 (survey)Storey: $87.93 (survey)Washoe: $87.93 (survey)White Pine: $87.93 (survey)Carson City: $87.93 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$105.24survey 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 (survey)$40$60$80$100$120/hrClark (Las Vegas): market median $63.31, prevailing (survey) $109.57, gap +$46.26Clark (Las Vegas)+$46.26Lyon (Reno): market median $48.64, prevailing (survey) $87.93, gap +$39.29Lyon (Reno)+$39.29Carson City (Nevada): market median $55.69, prevailing (survey) $87.93, gap +$32.24Carson City (Nevada)+$32.24
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in Nevada.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
Clarkstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$72.88$36.69$109.57NV20260091
Esmeraldastate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$72.88$36.69$109.57NV20260085
Lincolnstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$72.88$36.69$109.57NV20260080
Nyestate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$72.88$36.69$109.57NV20260082
Churchillstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260077
Douglasstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260078
Elkostate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260083
Eurekastate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260084
Humboldtstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260079
Landerstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260086
Lyonstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260081
Mineralstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260087
Pershingstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260088
Storeystate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260092
Washoestate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$53.08$34.85$87.93NV20260093

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

Is construction work growing in Nevada?

119.5kConstruction jobsNevada, 2026-08
+3.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025120kAug 2026
Construction employment in Nevada (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
Storey County852$114,129$2,195
Elko County910$93,528$1,799
Carson City1,509$87,803$1,689
Churchill County481$82,027$1,577
Washoe County16,449$79,003$1,519
Clark County58,383$77,825$1,497
White Pine County120$77,470$1,490
Humboldt County115$71,264$1,370
Douglas County1,067$70,253$1,351
Lyon County770$66,608$1,281
Lincoln County46$64,369$1,238
Nye County562$56,675$1,090

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Nevada

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Nevada?

The median crane operator in Nevada earned $55.69 an hour ($115,840 a year) in May 2025, 70% above the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $48.21–$64.90; the top 10% earn more than $64.91.

Where does Nevada rank for crane operator pay?

Nevada ranks 2nd of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $55.69 an hour, and 1st after adjusting for Nevada's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Nevada?

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

How many crane operators work in Nevada?

BLS counted 380 crane and tower operators in Nevada in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.89; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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