Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in North Carolina

Median $31.00 an hour for 1,050 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$31.00/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Carolina, May data
$64,480/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.37 – $39.7710th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,050Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in North Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, North CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNorth Carolina: 10th $22.37 · 25th $26.48 · median $31.00 · 75th $37.34 · 90th $39.77North Carolina$31.00$22.37$39.77United 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: North Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

North Carolina ranks 30th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 31st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.87). 1,050 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$22.37 – $26.48$46,530 – $55,070roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$26.48 – $37.34$55,070 – $77,670the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$37.34 – $39.77$77,670 – $82,730the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in North Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDurham: $35.44Durham$35.44Rocky Mount: $35.30Rocky Mount$35.30Raleigh: $34.87Raleigh$34.87Virginia Beach: $34.33Virginia Beach$34.33Wilmington: $33.02Wilmington$33.02Winston-Salem: $32.35Winston-Salem$32.35Greensboro: $31.12Greensboro$31.12Charlotte: $30.43Charlotte$30.43
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in North Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Durham$25.69$35.44$39.844014% above
Rocky Mount$28.17$35.30$45.253014% above
Raleigh$26.33$34.87$43.9117012% above
Virginia Beach$25.69$34.33$42.0243011% above
Wilmington$27.25$33.02$41.28607% above
Winston-Salem$21.21$32.35$39.111004% above
Greensboro$20.71$31.12$36.5880about the same as
Charlotte$24.24$30.43$39.773002% below

Crane operator wages in North Carolina over time

North Carolina, 1999-2025North CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$31.00North Carolina
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, North Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.26$21.76$15.291,340
2000$14.71$27.50$15.891,670
2001$14.71$26.74$16.641,470
2002$15.63$27.97$17.471,290
2003$15.75$27.56$17.861,200
2004$16.82$28.67$17.99950
2005$18.35$30.25$18.69890
2006$17.99$28.73$18.77960
2007$18.31$28.43$19.36870
2008$17.90$26.77$20.13980
2009$18.18$27.28$21.22770
2010$18.40$27.17$22.23850
2011$19.65$28.12$22.34850
2012$19.43$27.25$22.73910
2013$19.85$27.43$23.38610
2014$21.46$29.18$24.39690
2015$23.45$31.85$24.83660
2016$23.82$31.95$25.08660
2017$24.08$31.63$25.10750
2018$23.30$29.87$26.03930
2019$23.55$29.66$27.26970
2020$25.87$32.18$28.71960
2021$28.97$34.42$29.92980
2022$26.57$29.23$29.491,000
2023$29.78$31.47$31.101,090
2024$29.84$30.63$31.911,100
2025$31.00$31.00$32.731,050

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in North Carolina changed by -2.7% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in North Carolina

On federally funded construction in North Carolina, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 54 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $21.62). 54 of the 54 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Alleghany County at $21.62). The market median for the state is $31.00.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NCAlamance: —Alexander: —Alleghany: $21.62 (survey)Anson: $24.25 (survey)Ashe: $21.62 (survey)Avery: $21.62 (survey)Beaufort: $21.62 (survey)Bertie: $21.62 (survey)Bladen: $21.62 (survey)Brunswick: —Buncombe: —Burke: —Cabarrus: —Caldwell: —Camden: $21.62 (survey)Carteret: $21.62 (survey)Caswell: $21.62 (survey)Catawba: —Chatham: —Cherokee: $21.62 (survey)Chowan: $21.62 (survey)Clay: $21.62 (survey)Cleveland: $21.62 (survey)Columbus: $21.62 (survey)Craven: —Cumberland: —Currituck: —Dare: $21.62 (survey)Davidson: —Davie: —Duplin: $21.62 (survey)Durham: —Edgecombe: —Forsyth: —Franklin: —Gaston: —Gates: —Graham: $21.62 (survey)Granville: $21.62 (survey)Greene: $24.25 (survey)Guilford: —Halifax: $21.62 (survey)Harnett: $21.62 (survey)Haywood: —Henderson: —Hertford: $21.62 (survey)Hoke: —Hyde: $21.62 (survey)Iredell: —Jackson: $21.62 (survey)Johnston: —Jones: —Lee: $21.62 (survey)Lenoir: $21.62 (survey)Lincoln: —McDowell: $21.62 (survey)Macon: $21.62 (survey)Madison: —Martin: $21.62 (survey)Mecklenburg: —Mitchell: $21.62 (survey)Montgomery: $21.62 (survey)Moore: $21.62 (survey)Nash: —New Hanover: —Northampton: $21.62 (survey)Onslow: —Orange: —Pamlico: —Pasquotank: $21.62 (survey)Pender: —Perquimans: $21.62 (survey)Person: —Pitt: —Polk: $21.62 (survey)Randolph: —Richmond: $21.62 (survey)Robeson: $21.62 (survey)Rockingham: —Rowan: —Rutherford: $21.62 (survey)Sampson: $21.62 (survey)Scotland: $21.62 (survey)Stanly: $21.62 (survey)Stokes: —Surry: $21.62 (survey)Swain: $21.62 (survey)Transylvania: $21.62 (survey)Tyrrell: $21.62 (survey)Union: —Vance: $21.62 (survey)Wake: —Warren: $21.62 (survey)Washington: $21.62 (survey)Watauga: $21.62 (survey)Wayne: —Wilkes: $21.62 (survey)Wilson: $21.62 (survey)Yadkin: —Yancey: $21.62 (survey)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.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$20$25$30$35$40/hrAnson (Charlotte): market median $30.43, prevailing (survey) $24.25, gap −$6.18Anson (Charlotte)−$6.18Moore (North Carolina): market median $31.00, prevailing (survey) $21.62, gap −$9.38Moore (North Carolina)−$9.38Camden (Virginia Beach): market median $34.33, prevailing (survey) $21.62, gap −$12.71Camden (Virginia Beach)−$12.71
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in North Carolina.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AnsonSurvey SUNC2011-002 2011-08-24$19.77$4.48$24.25NC20260021
GreeneSurvey SUNC2023-005 2011-08-24$19.77$4.48$24.25NC20260046
AlleghanySurvey SUNC2011-031 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260050
AsheSurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260061
AverySurvey SUNC2011-032 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260051
BeaufortSurvey SUNC2023-001 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260062
BertieSurvey SUNC2023-001 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260062
BladenSurvey SUNC2023-002 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260063
CamdenSurvey SUNC2023-001 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260062
CarteretSurvey SUNC2023-001 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260062
CaswellSurvey SUNC2011-045 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260064
CherokeeSurvey SUNC2011-033 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260052
ChowanSurvey SUNC2023-003 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260065
ClaySurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260061
ClevelandSurvey SUNC2023-002 2011-08-26$19.25$2.37$21.62NC20260063

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

Is construction work growing in North Carolina?

299.4kConstruction jobsNorth Carolina, 2026-08
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025299kAug 2026
Construction employment in North Carolina (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
Northampton County143$90,853$1,747
Clay County123$88,869$1,709
Mecklenburg County26,786$81,939$1,576
Wake County26,700$78,996$1,519
Lenoir County1,318$78,808$1,516
Randolph County2,578$76,487$1,471
Guilford County9,330$76,294$1,467
Union County6,038$75,738$1,456
Halifax County387$74,980$1,442
Rowan County2,616$74,689$1,436
Polk County190$73,921$1,422
Graham County288$73,214$1,408

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in North Carolina?

The median crane operator in North Carolina earned $31.00 an hour ($64,480 a year) in May 2025, 5% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $26.48–$37.34; the top 10% earn more than $39.77.

Where does North Carolina rank for crane operator pay?

North Carolina ranks 30th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $31.00 an hour, and 31st after adjusting for North Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.3, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in North Carolina?

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

How many crane operators work in North Carolina?

BLS counted 1,050 crane and tower operators in North Carolina in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.77; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, North Carolina 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.