Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in New York

Median $41.27 an hour for 1,150 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$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 2026-09-28

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 and tower 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 and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.78 – $33.71$49,460 – $70,110roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$33.71 – $60.60$70,110 – $126,050the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$60.60 – $104.09$126,050 – $216,500the 75th–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 and tower operators by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
New York City$32.32$48.38$71.551,50017% above
Buffalo$23.93$35.91$147.416013% below
Albany$24.87$35.10$151.014015% below

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 and tower 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.

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 $88.62 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: $88.62 (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: —New York: $156.55 (union)Niagara: —Oneida: $81.46 (union)Onondaga: $81.46 (union)Ontario: $95.63 (union)Orange: $88.62 (union)Orleans: —Oswego: $81.46 (union)Otsego: $99.22 (union)Putnam: —Queens: $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: —Sullivan: $99.22 (union)Tioga: $84.51 (union)Tompkins: —Ulster: $88.62 (union)Warren: $88.62 (union)Washington: $88.62 (union)Wayne: —Westchester: —Wyoming: $63.43 (survey)Yates: —Union / prevailing package, $/hr$67.68$83.90$88.62$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)+$108.17Chemung (New York): market median $41.27, prevailing (union) $95.63, gap +$54.36Chemung (New York)+$54.36Albany (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
RocklandUnion ENGI0825-013 2025-07-01$70.24$37.50$107.74NY20260020
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
OtsegoUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260113
SullivanUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260118
ChemungUnion ENGI0158-024 2025-07-01$59.88$35.75$95.63NY20260005

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. 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?

396.0kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-08
-1.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kAug 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.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
New York County17,505$112,347$2,161
Ontario County2,596$110,692$2,129
Albany County5,751$97,044$1,866
Queens County31,155$96,866$1,863
Rensselaer County1,684$93,618$1,800
Nassau County21,871$93,401$1,796
Bronx County6,727$91,769$1,765
Erie County13,400$88,790$1,707
Westchester County17,930$88,549$1,703
Onondaga County6,868$88,060$1,693
Cayuga County856$87,850$1,689
Herkimer County531$87,293$1,679

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in 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 $88.62 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in New York?

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

Sources and notes

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