Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in New York

Median $41.27 an hour for 1,150 crane operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$41.27/hrMedian hourly wageNew York, May data
$85,850/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.78 – $104.0910th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,150Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Crane operator pay in New York: the full range

Wage percentiles, New YorkMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$25$50$75$100$125/hrNew York: 10th $23.78 · 25th $33.71 · median $41.27 · 75th $60.60 · 90th $104.09New York$41.27$23.78$104.09United States: 10th $20.50 · 25th $25.29 · median $32.73 · 75th $40.00 · 90th $49.79United States$32.73
Hourly wage percentiles for crane operators: New York vs United States, May 2025.

New York ranks 9th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 16th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $38.25). 1,150 crane operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 4.4× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$23.78 – $33.71$49,460 – $70,110roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$33.71 – $60.60$70,110 – $126,050the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$60.60 – $104.09$126,050 – $216,500the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in New York

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrNew York City: $48.38New York City$48.38Buffalo: $35.91Buffalo$35.91Albany: $35.10Albany$35.10
Median hourly wage for crane operators by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
New York City$32.32$48.38$42.97$71.551,50017% above
Buffalo$23.93$35.91$37.48$147.416013% below
Albany$24.87$35.10$35.24$151.014015% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Crane operator wages in New York over time

New York, 1999-2025New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$20$40$60$80200020052010201520202025$41.27New York$32.73United States
Median hourly wage for crane operators, New York vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew York $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.18$31.27$15.291,140
2000$18.67$34.91$15.891,310
2001$19.30$35.08$16.641,320
2002$19.74$35.33$17.471,120
2003$20.38$35.66$17.86960
2004$21.05$35.88$17.99680
2005$22.30$36.76$18.69840
2006$20.65$32.98$18.77—
2007$20.83$32.34$19.361,320
2008$22.74$34.00$20.131,340
2009$26.71$40.08$21.22930
2010$28.96$42.76$22.23870
2011$27.20$38.93$22.34810
2012$26.60$37.30$22.73930
2013$22.49$31.08$23.381,110
2014$29.04$39.49$24.391,410
2015$32.85$44.62$24.831,720
2016$45.22$60.66$25.081,390
2017$49.67$65.24$25.101,220
2018——$26.031,260
2019——$27.261,370
2020——$28.711,260
2021$49.80$59.17$29.92980
2022$60.41$66.46$29.491,180
2023$39.39$41.62$31.101,380
2024$52.89$54.28$31.911,330
2025$41.27$41.27$32.731,150

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in New York changed by -7.5% over the last ten years of data.

Are there more crane operator jobs in New York?

0.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.4× the US share, 45th of 47 states

BLS counted 1,150 crane operators in New York in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 16%. 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 York

+0.2%Projected growth in New York2024–2034, state agency
110Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
1,340Jobs in 20241,340 projected for 2034
+3.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

New York's labor market agency projects the number of crane operators in the state to change by +0.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,340 to 1,340, with about 110 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,150 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: New York labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in New York

On federally funded construction in New York, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 38 of the 53 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $95.63 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $67.68). The market median for the state is $41.27.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NYAlbany: $88.62 (union)Allegany: $63.43 (survey)Bronx: $156.55 (union)Broome: $84.51 (union)Cattaraugus: $63.43 (survey)Cayuga: $99.22 (union)Chautauqua: $79.63 (union)Chemung: $95.63 (union)Chenango: $99.22 (union)Clinton: $67.68 (survey)Columbia: $99.22 (union)Cortland: $99.22 (union)Delaware: $99.22 (union)Dutchess: $107.74 (union)Erie: $85.38 (union)Essex: $67.68 (survey)Franklin: $67.68 (survey)Fulton: $67.68 (survey)Genesee: $63.43 (survey)Greene: $99.22 (union)Hamilton: $67.68 (survey)Herkimer: $88.62 (union)Jefferson: $81.46 (union)Kings: $156.55 (union)Lewis: $67.68 (survey)Livingston: $95.63 (union)Madison: $81.46 (union)Monroe: $95.63 (union)Montgomery: $67.68 (survey)Nassau: n/aNew York: $156.55 (union)Niagara: n/aOneida: $81.46 (union)Onondaga: $81.46 (union)Ontario: $95.63 (union)Orange: $107.74 (union)Orleans: n/aOswego: $81.46 (union)Otsego: $99.22 (union)Putnam: n/aQueens: $156.55 (union)Rensselaer: $88.62 (union)Richmond: $156.55 (union)Rockland: $107.74 (union)St. Lawrence: $67.68 (survey)Saratoga: $88.62 (union)Schenectady: $88.62 (union)Schoharie: $88.62 (union)Schuyler: $63.43 (survey)Seneca: $63.43 (survey)Steuben: $63.43 (survey)Suffolk: n/aSullivan: $99.22 (union)Tioga: $84.51 (union)Tompkins: n/aUlster: $107.74 (union)Warren: $88.62 (union)Washington: $88.62 (union)Wayne: n/aWestchester: n/aWyoming: $63.43 (survey)Yates: n/aUnion / prevailing package, $/hr$67.68$83.90$90.02$99.22n/asurvey 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 (union)$0$50$100$150$200/hrBronx (New York City): market median $48.38, prevailing (union) $156.55, gap +$108.17Bronx (New York City)+$108.17Dutchess (New York): market median $41.27, prevailing (union) $107.74, gap +$66.47Dutchess (New York)+$66.47Albany (Albany): market median $35.10, prevailing (union) $88.62, gap +$53.52Albany (Albany)+$53.52Erie (Buffalo): market median $35.91, prevailing (union) $85.38, gap +$49.47Erie (Buffalo)+$49.47
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in New York.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BronxUnion ENGI0014-001 2025-07-01$117.60$38.95$156.55NY20260003
KingsUnion ENGI0014-001 2025-07-01$117.60$38.95$156.55NY20260003
New YorkUnion ENGI0014-001 2025-07-01$117.60$38.95$156.55NY20260003
QueensUnion ENGI0014-001 2025-07-01$117.60$38.95$156.55NY20260003
RichmondUnion ENGI0014-001 2025-07-01$117.60$38.95$156.55NY20260003
DutchessUnion ENGI0825-008 2025-07-01$70.24$37.50$107.74NY20260007
OrangeUnion ENGI0825-008 2025-07-01$70.24$37.50$107.74NY20260007
RocklandUnion ENGI0825-013 2025-07-01$70.24$37.50$107.74NY20260020
UlsterUnion ENGI0825-008 2025-07-01$70.24$37.50$107.74NY20260007
CayugaUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260101
ChenangoUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260103
ColumbiaUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260105
CortlandUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260106
DelawareUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260107
GreeneUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260111

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the New York prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in New York?

396.1kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-09
-0.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kSep 2026
Construction employment in New York (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. Across the 59 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 230,604 in 2015 to 242,213 in 2025, +5.0%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
New York County1,02517,505$112,347$2,161
Ontario County1682,596$110,692$2,129
Albany County4565,751$97,044$1,866
Queens County2,92131,155$96,866$1,863
Rensselaer County2301,684$93,618$1,800
Nassau County2,71521,871$93,401$1,796
Bronx County7726,727$91,769$1,765
Erie County1,30313,400$88,790$1,707
Westchester County2,26017,930$88,549$1,703
Onondaga County6166,868$88,060$1,693
Cayuga County121856$87,850$1,689
Herkimer County87531$87,293$1,679

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New York

More on New York

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in New York?

The median crane operator in New York earned $41.27 an hour ($85,850 a year) in May 2025, 26% above the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $33.71–$60.60; the top 10% earn more than $104.09.

Where does New York rank for crane operator pay?

New York ranks 9th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $41.27 an hour, and 16th after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in New York?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 38 counties, with a typical package of $95.63 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in New York?

BLS counted 1,150 crane operators in New York in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.43; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is crane operator work growing in New York?

New York's labor market agency projects +0.2% growth for crane operators between 2024 and 2034, from 1,340 to 1,340 jobs.

How many crane operator openings a year are there in New York?

New York projects about 110 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 York 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 York labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.