Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in New Mexico

Median $30.00 an hour for 290 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$30.00/hrMedian hourly wageNew Mexico, May data
$62,400/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.72 – $39.3410th to 90th percentilehourly range
290Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in New Mexico: the full range

Wage percentiles, New MexicoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNew Mexico: 10th $21.72 · 25th $29.63 · median $30.00 · 75th $32.35 · 90th $39.34New Mexico$30.00$21.72$39.34United 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: New Mexico vs United States, May 2025.

New Mexico ranks 34th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 34th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.54). 290 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.72 – $29.63$45,180 – $61,630roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$29.63 – $32.35$61,630 – $67,280the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$32.35 – $39.34$67,280 – $81,830the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in New Mexico

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrLas Cruces: $39.34Las Cruces$39.34
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in New Mexico, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Las Cruces$21.54$39.34$47.615031% above

Crane operator wages in New Mexico over time

New Mexico, 1999-2025New MexicoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$30.00New Mexico
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, New Mexico vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew Mexico $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.76$28.52$15.2940
2000$13.30$24.87$15.8990
2001$13.52$24.58$16.6480
2002$16.12$28.85$17.47150
2003$16.91$29.59$17.86240
2004$18.71$31.89$17.99120
2005$21.53$35.49$18.69—
2006$23.01$36.75$18.77110
2007$22.21$34.49$19.36300
2008$22.96$34.33$20.13250
2009$23.97$35.97$21.22210
2010$26.74$39.48$22.2350
2011$27.58$39.47$22.34120
2012$27.06$37.94$22.73130
2013$27.08$37.42$23.38130
2014$26.79$36.43$24.39110
2015$27.53$37.39$24.83100
2016$28.00$37.56$25.08130
2017$27.61$36.26$25.10110
2018$28.46$36.49$26.03150
2019$29.68$37.38$27.26120
2020$31.04$38.61$28.71130
2021$32.96$39.16$29.92180
2022$36.75$40.43$29.49120
2023$30.73$32.47$31.1070
2024$29.30$30.07$31.91110
2025$30.00$30.00$32.73290

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in New Mexico changed by -19.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in New Mexico

On federally funded construction in New Mexico, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 13 of the 25 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $36.08 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $28.98). 12 of the 25 counties still use a survey rate dated 2010 or earlier (for example Cibola County at $28.98). The market median for the state is $30.00.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NMBernalillo: —Catron: $36.08 (union)Chaves: $36.08 (union)Cibola: $28.98 (survey)Colfax: $28.98 (survey)Curry: $36.08 (union)De Baca: $36.08 (union)Doña Ana: —Eddy: $36.08 (union)Grant: —Guadalupe: $28.98 (survey)Harding: $28.98 (survey)Hidalgo: $36.08 (union)Lea: $36.08 (union)Lincoln: $36.08 (union)Los Alamos: $28.98 (survey)Luna: $36.08 (union)McKinley: $28.98 (survey)Mora: $28.98 (survey)Otero: $36.08 (union)Quay: $28.98 (survey)Rio Arriba: $28.98 (survey)Roosevelt: $36.08 (union)Sandoval: —San Juan: —San Miguel: $28.98 (survey)Santa Fe: —Sierra: $36.08 (union)Socorro: $36.08 (union)Taos: $28.98 (survey)Torrance: —Union: $28.98 (survey)Valencia: —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
CatronUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260013
ChavesUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260014
CurryUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260016
De BacaUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260017
EddyUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260018
HidalgoUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260032
LeaUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260020
LincolnUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260021
LunaUnion ENGI0953-011 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260023
OteroUnion ENGI0953-012 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260025
RooseveltUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260027
SierraUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260032
SocorroUnion ENGI0953-007 2024-01-01$31.43$4.65$36.08NM20260029
CibolaSurvey SUNM2010-019 2010-11-09$24.38$4.60$28.98NM20260031
ColfaxSurvey SUNM2010-003 2010-11-09$24.38$4.60$28.98NM20260015

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

Is construction work growing in New Mexico?

58.6kConstruction jobsNew Mexico, 2026-08
+5.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k70k1990199520002005201020152020202559kAug 2026
Construction employment in New Mexico (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
Luna County204$120,882$2,325
Lea County1,200$83,228$1,601
Eddy County1,438$79,136$1,522
Valencia County1,263$77,466$1,490
Sandoval County1,310$71,541$1,376
Bernalillo County14,398$68,155$1,311
San Juan County1,610$63,126$1,214
Santa Fe County1,752$57,076$1,098
Rio Arriba County148$55,931$1,076
Otero County582$55,218$1,062
Chaves County458$55,133$1,060
Grant County264$54,842$1,055

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New Mexico

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in New Mexico?

The median crane operator in New Mexico earned $30.00 an hour ($62,400 a year) in May 2025, 8% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $29.63–$32.35; the top 10% earn more than $39.34.

Where does New Mexico rank for crane operator pay?

New Mexico ranks 34th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $30.00 an hour, and 34th after adjusting for New Mexico's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.2, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in New Mexico?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 13 counties, with a typical package of $36.08 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in New Mexico?

BLS counted 290 crane and tower operators in New Mexico in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.23; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Mexico 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.