Crane operator salary in New Jersey
Median $48.39 an hour for 1,000 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 New Jersey: the full range
New Jersey ranks 5th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 7th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $44.48). 1,000 crane operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $31.49 – $43.28 | $65,510 – $90,020 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $43.28 – $59.95 | $90,020 – $124,700 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $59.95 – $62.29 | $124,700 – $129,570 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Crane operator pay by metro in New Jersey
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | $32.32 | $48.38 | $42.97 | $71.55 | 1,500 | about the same as |
| Atlantic City | $30.06 | $46.40 | $46.92 | $53.03 | 40 | 4% below |
| Philadelphia | $25.94 | $34.62 | $33.74 | $59.72 | 790 | 28% below |
| Allentown | $19.38 | $30.38 | $30.38 | $40.22 | 90 | 37% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Crane operator wages in New Jersey over time
Table
| Year | New Jersey $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $17.54 | $33.89 | $15.29 | 520 |
| 2000 | $19.85 | $37.11 | $15.89 | 640 |
| 2001 | $18.20 | $33.09 | $16.64 | 720 |
| 2002 | $19.01 | $34.02 | $17.47 | 560 |
| 2003 | $22.10 | $38.67 | $17.86 | 750 |
| 2004 | $22.97 | $39.15 | $17.99 | 880 |
| 2005 | $25.59 | $42.18 | $18.69 | 1,140 |
| 2006 | $25.36 | $40.50 | $18.77 | 820 |
| 2007 | $27.01 | $41.94 | $19.36 | 870 |
| 2008 | $26.37 | $39.43 | $20.13 | 620 |
| 2009 | $24.66 | $37.01 | $21.22 | 750 |
| 2010 | $24.65 | $36.39 | $22.23 | 700 |
| 2011 | $26.02 | $37.24 | $22.34 | 680 |
| 2012 | $26.24 | $36.79 | $22.73 | 510 |
| 2013 | $30.42 | $42.04 | $23.38 | 540 |
| 2014 | $31.50 | $42.84 | $24.39 | 560 |
| 2015 | $32.93 | $44.73 | $24.83 | 710 |
| 2016 | $33.58 | $45.04 | $25.08 | 740 |
| 2017 | $33.54 | $44.05 | $25.10 | 710 |
| 2018 | $33.59 | $43.07 | $26.03 | 760 |
| 2019 | $35.88 | $45.18 | $27.26 | 800 |
| 2020 | — | — | $28.71 | 840 |
| 2021 | $55.95 | $66.47 | $29.92 | 1,110 |
| 2022 | $44.00 | $48.40 | $29.49 | 640 |
| 2023 | $39.37 | $41.60 | $31.10 | 670 |
| 2024 | $42.54 | $43.66 | $31.91 | 740 |
| 2025 | $48.39 | $48.39 | $32.73 | 1,000 |
In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in New Jersey changed by +8.2% over the last ten years of data and by +7.1% since 2019.
Are there more crane operator jobs in New Jersey?
BLS counted 1,000 crane operators in New Jersey in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 29%. 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 New Jersey
New Jersey's labor market agency projects the number of crane operators in the state to change by +2.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 720 to 740, with about 60 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 1,000 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: New Jersey labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in New Jersey?
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 21 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 89,656 in 2015 to 102,779 in 2025, +14.6%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 887 | 9,199 | $97,416 | $1,873 |
| Hudson County | 390 | 3,007 | $95,564 | $1,838 |
| Mercer County | 360 | 3,543 | $94,905 | $1,825 |
| Morris County | 932 | 8,730 | $91,378 | $1,757 |
| Union County | 806 | 6,308 | $91,096 | $1,752 |
| Gloucester County | 445 | 4,374 | $90,128 | $1,733 |
| Hunterdon County | 270 | 1,945 | $90,014 | $1,731 |
| Essex County | 762 | 6,092 | $89,479 | $1,721 |
| Camden County | 634 | 6,357 | $89,390 | $1,719 |
| Somerset County | 510 | 4,438 | $88,130 | $1,695 |
| Burlington County | 547 | 4,355 | $86,431 | $1,662 |
| Passaic County | 776 | 5,178 | $85,739 | $1,649 |
| Bergen County | 1,495 | 10,349 | $85,664 | $1,647 |
| Monmouth County | 1,159 | 11,076 | $85,517 | $1,645 |
| Cumberland County | 188 | 2,266 | $83,102 | $1,598 |
| Sussex County | 293 | 1,492 | $79,240 | $1,524 |
| Salem County | 79 | 878 | $76,104 | $1,464 |
| Warren County | 188 | 823 | $75,370 | $1,449 |
| Atlantic County | 437 | 3,513 | $74,034 | $1,424 |
| Ocean County | 1,160 | 7,254 | $70,401 | $1,354 |
| Cape May County | 285 | 1,602 | $59,055 | $1,136 |
Keep comparing
Crane operator pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in New Jersey
More on New Jersey
Questions this page answers
How much do crane operators make in New Jersey?
The median crane operator in New Jersey earned $48.39 an hour ($100,640 a year) in May 2025, 48% above the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $43.28–$59.95; the top 10% earn more than $62.29.
Where does New Jersey rank for crane operator pay?
New Jersey ranks 5th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $48.39 an hour, and 7th after adjusting for New Jersey's cost of living (BEA price parity 108.8, US = 100).
What is the union crane operator rate in New Jersey?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a crane operator classification for most New Jersey counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many crane operators work in New Jersey?
BLS counted 1,000 crane operators in New Jersey in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.84; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is crane operator work growing in New Jersey?
New Jersey's labor market agency projects +2.8% growth for crane operators between 2024 and 2034, from 720 to 740 jobs.
How many crane operator openings a year are there in New Jersey?
New Jersey projects about 60 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, New Jersey 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: New Jersey labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.