Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in North Dakota

Median $39.85 an hour for 180 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$39.85/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Dakota, May data
$82,890/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.14 – $46.5310th to 90th percentilehourly range
180Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in North Dakota: the full range

Wage percentiles, North DakotaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNorth Dakota: 10th $24.14 · 25th $34.08 · median $39.85 · 75th $43.23 · 90th $46.53North Dakota$39.85$24.14$46.53United 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 Dakota vs United States, May 2025.

North Dakota ranks 11th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 5th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $44.78). 180 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$24.14 – $34.08$50,200 – $70,880roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$34.08 – $43.23$70,880 – $89,920the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$43.23 – $46.53$89,920 – $96,790the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in North Dakota

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrFargo: $39.41Fargo$39.41
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in North Dakota, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Fargo$28.75$39.41$50.91401% below

Crane operator wages in North Dakota over time

North Dakota, 1999-2025North DakotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$39.85North Dakota$32.73United States
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, North Dakota vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Dakota $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.55$31.98$15.29210
2000$17.58$32.87$15.8990
2001$18.36$33.38$16.64110
2002$18.31$32.77$17.4780
2003$18.76$32.82$17.8690
2004$20.58$35.07$17.9990
2005$21.85$36.02$18.6990
2006$20.86$33.31$18.77120
2007$19.07$29.61$19.36130
2008$21.30$31.85$20.13170
2009$22.04$33.07$21.22140
2010$21.50$31.74$22.23140
2011$21.74$31.12$22.3490
2012$27.79$38.97$22.73320
2013$26.68$36.87$23.38360
2014$26.96$36.66$24.39420
2015$25.51$34.65$24.83370
2016$27.41$36.77$25.08240
2017$28.77$37.79$25.10290
2018$29.64$38.00$26.03280
2019$31.26$39.37$27.26290
2020$33.37$41.51$28.71220
2021$31.45$37.37$29.92300
2022$36.32$39.95$29.49320
2023$36.73$38.81$31.10300
2024$36.00$36.95$31.91220
2025$39.85$39.85$32.73180

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in North Dakota changed by +15.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in North Dakota

On federally funded construction in North Dakota, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 26 of the 53 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $65.45 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $42.65). 27 of the 53 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Adams County at $42.65). The market median for the state is $39.85.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NDAdams: $42.65 (survey)Barnes: $65.45 (union)Benson: $65.45 (union)Billings: $42.65 (survey)Bottineau: $42.65 (survey)Bowman: $42.65 (survey)Burke: $42.65 (survey)Burleigh: $35.57 (survey)Cass: $35.57 (survey)Cavalier: $65.45 (union)Dickey: $65.45 (union)Divide: $42.65 (survey)Dunn: $42.65 (survey)Eddy: $65.45 (union)Emmons: $65.45 (union)Foster: $65.45 (union)Golden Valley: $42.65 (survey)Grand Forks: $35.57 (survey)Grant: $65.45 (union)Griggs: $65.45 (union)Hettinger: $42.65 (survey)Kidder: $65.45 (union)LaMoure: $65.45 (union)Logan: $65.45 (union)McHenry: $42.65 (survey)McIntosh: $65.45 (union)McKenzie: $42.65 (survey)McLean: $42.65 (survey)Mercer: $42.65 (survey)Morton: $35.57 (survey)Mountrail: $42.65 (survey)Nelson: $65.45 (union)Oliver: $35.57 (survey)Pembina: $65.45 (union)Pierce: $42.65 (survey)Ramsey: $65.45 (union)Ransom: $65.45 (union)Renville: $42.65 (survey)Richland: $65.45 (union)Rolette: $65.45 (union)Sargent: $65.45 (union)Sheridan: $42.65 (survey)Sioux: $35.57 (survey)Slope: $42.65 (survey)Stark: $42.65 (survey)Steele: $65.45 (union)Stutsman: $65.45 (union)Towner: $65.45 (union)Traill: $65.45 (union)Walsh: $65.45 (union)Ward: $42.65 (survey)Wells: $65.45 (union)Williams: $42.65 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$42.65survey 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
BarnesUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260019
BensonUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
CavalierUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
DickeyUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260036
EddyUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
EmmonsUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260036
FosterUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
GrantUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260036
GriggsUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
KidderUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
LaMoureUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
LoganUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
McIntoshUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
NelsonUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260033
PembinaUnion ENGI0049-008 2025-05-01$40.20$25.25$65.45ND20260026

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

Is construction work growing in North Dakota?

35.1kConstruction jobsNorth Dakota, 2026-08
+2.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k10k20k30k40k50k1990199520002005201020152020202535kAug 2026
Construction employment in North Dakota (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
Dickey County672$113,607$2,185
Williams County1,317$103,672$1,994
Dunn County149$103,085$1,982
McKenzie County576$102,677$1,975
Mercer County185$98,994$1,904
Traill County153$92,980$1,788
Stark County1,030$88,688$1,706
Mountrail County295$81,311$1,564
Morton County670$76,303$1,467
Billings County136$76,153$1,464
Cass County5,965$74,363$1,430
Grand Forks County1,568$73,468$1,413

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Dakota

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in North Dakota?

The median crane operator in North Dakota earned $39.85 an hour ($82,890 a year) in May 2025, 22% above the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $34.08–$43.23; the top 10% earn more than $46.53.

Where does North Dakota rank for crane operator pay?

North Dakota ranks 11th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $39.85 an hour, and 5th after adjusting for North Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.0, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in North Dakota?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 26 counties, with a typical package of $65.45 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in North Dakota?

BLS counted 180 crane and tower operators in North Dakota in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.49; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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