Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Ohio

Median $27.70 an hour for 1,780 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$27.70/hrMedian hourly wageOhio, May data
$57,620/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$20.15 – $47.3710th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,780Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in Ohio: the full range

Wage percentiles, OhioMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrOhio: 10th $20.15 · 25th $22.50 · median $27.70 · 75th $36.15 · 90th $47.37Ohio$27.70$20.15$47.37United 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: Ohio vs United States, May 2025.

Ohio ranks 46th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 43rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.85). 1,780 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$20.15 – $22.50$41,910 – $46,790roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.50 – $36.15$46,790 – $75,190the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$36.15 – $47.37$75,190 – $98,530the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Ohio

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrDayton: $39.92Dayton$39.92Canton: $34.65Canton$34.65Columbus: $32.07Columbus$32.07Akron: $31.08Akron$31.08Cleveland: $27.70Cleveland$27.70Toledo: $27.41Toledo$27.41Huntington: $27.30Huntington$27.30Cincinnati: $26.44Cincinnati$26.44Youngstown: $26.11Youngstown$26.11
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in Ohio, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Dayton$21.35$39.92$49.059044% above
Canton$21.05$34.65$44.4111025% above
Columbus$21.98$32.07$50.1212016% above
Akron$21.29$31.08$48.3712012% above
Cleveland$21.77$27.70$48.67400about the same as
Toledo$18.49$27.41$32.961201% below
Huntington$18.09$27.30$38.44801% below
Cincinnati$19.71$26.44$49.682105% below
Youngstown$20.00$26.11$29.25806% below

Crane operator wages in Ohio over time

Ohio, 1999-2025OhioUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$27.70Ohio
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Ohio vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearOhio $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.49$29.93$15.294,770
2000$16.62$31.07$15.894,050
2001$16.26$29.56$16.643,670
2002$16.60$29.71$17.473,360
2003$16.87$29.52$17.863,200
2004$15.89$27.08$17.992,730
2005$16.98$27.99$18.692,780
2006$16.43$26.24$18.772,640
2007$16.35$25.39$19.362,380
2008$17.16$25.66$20.132,260
2009$17.67$26.52$21.222,070
2010$17.91$26.44$22.231,980
2011$18.57$26.58$22.341,820
2012$18.71$26.24$22.731,960
2013$18.89$26.11$23.381,680
2014$18.01$24.49$24.391,890
2015$18.15$24.65$24.831,860
2016$19.72$26.45$25.081,770
2017$19.73$25.91$25.101,660
2018$21.17$27.14$26.031,720
2019$22.15$27.89$27.261,770
2020$23.72$29.51$28.711,440
2021$23.74$28.21$29.921,960
2022$31.48$34.63$29.492,060
2023$24.33$25.71$31.101,730
2024$30.03$30.82$31.912,120
2025$27.70$27.70$32.731,780

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Ohio changed by +12.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Ohio

On federally funded construction in Ohio, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 53 of the 59 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $60.55 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $41.38). 6 of the 59 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Belmont County at $41.38). The market median for the state is $27.70.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, OHAdams: $60.55 (union)Allen: $60.55 (union)Ashland: $60.55 (union)Ashtabula: $60.55 (union)Athens: $60.55 (union)Auglaize: $60.55 (union)Belmont: $41.38 (survey)Brown: —Butler: —Carroll: $41.28 (survey)Champaign: $60.55 (union)Clark: $60.55 (union)Clermont: —Clinton: $60.55 (union)Columbiana: $60.55 (union)Coshocton: —Crawford: $60.55 (union)Cuyahoga: —Darke: $60.55 (union)Defiance: $60.55 (union)Delaware: —Erie: $63.12 (union)Fairfield: —Fayette: $60.55 (union)Franklin: —Fulton: $60.43 (union)Gallia: $60.55 (union)Geauga: $63.12 (union)Greene: $60.55 (union)Guernsey: —Hamilton: —Hancock: $60.55 (union)Hardin: $60.55 (union)Harrison: —Henry: $60.55 (union)Highland: $60.55 (union)Hocking: $60.55 (union)Holmes: $60.55 (union)Huron: $60.55 (union)Jackson: $60.55 (union)Jefferson: $41.38 (survey)Knox: $60.55 (union)Lake: $63.12 (union)Lawrence: $41.38 (survey)Licking: —Logan: $60.55 (union)Lorain: $63.12 (union)Lucas: —Madison: —Mahoning: —Marion: $60.55 (union)Medina: $63.12 (union)Meigs: $60.55 (union)Mercer: $60.55 (union)Miami: $60.55 (union)Monroe: —Montgomery: $60.55 (union)Morgan: —Morrow: —Muskingum: —Noble: —Ottawa: $60.43 (union)Paulding: $60.55 (union)Perry: —Pickaway: —Pike: $60.55 (union)Portage: $63.12 (union)Preble: $60.55 (union)Putnam: $60.55 (union)Richland: —Ross: $60.55 (union)Sandusky: $60.55 (union)Scioto: $60.55 (union)Seneca: $60.55 (union)Shelby: $60.55 (union)Stark: $41.28 (survey)Summit: $63.12 (union)Trumbull: —Tuscarawas: —Union: —Van Wert: $60.55 (union)Vinton: $60.55 (union)Warren: —Washington: $41.38 (survey)Wayne: $60.55 (union)Williams: —Wood: —Wyandot: $60.55 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$60.55n/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)Prevailing (survey)$20$40$60$80/hrErie (Ohio): market median $27.70, prevailing (union) $63.12, gap +$35.42Erie (Ohio)+$35.42Geauga (Cleveland): market median $27.70, prevailing (union) $63.12, gap +$35.42Geauga (Cleveland)+$35.42Fulton (Toledo): market median $27.41, prevailing (union) $60.43, gap +$33.02Fulton (Toledo)+$33.02Portage (Akron): market median $31.08, prevailing (union) $63.12, gap +$32.04Portage (Akron)+$32.04Hocking (Columbus): market median $32.07, prevailing (union) $60.55, gap +$28.48Hocking (Columbus)+$28.48Greene (Dayton): market median $39.92, prevailing (union) $60.55, gap +$20.63Greene (Dayton)+$20.63Lawrence (Huntington): market median $27.30, prevailing (survey) $41.38, gap +$14.08Lawrence (Huntington)+$14.08Carroll (Canton): market median $34.65, prevailing (survey) $41.28, gap +$6.63Carroll (Canton)+$6.63
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in Ohio.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ErieUnion ENGI0018-042 2024-05-01$46.71$16.41$63.12OH20260076
GeaugaUnion ENGI0018-042 2024-05-01$46.71$16.41$63.12OH20260080
LakeUnion ENGI0018-042 2024-05-01$46.71$16.41$63.12OH20260084
LorainUnion ENGI0018-042 2024-05-01$46.71$16.41$63.12OH20260087
MedinaUnion ENGI0018-042 2024-05-01$46.71$16.41$63.12OH20260091
PortageUnion ENGI0018-042 2024-05-01$46.71$16.41$63.12OH20260097
SummitUnion ENGI0018-042 2024-05-01$46.71$16.41$63.12OH20260100
AdamsUnion ENGI0018-022 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260030
AllenUnion ENGI0018-034 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260068
AshlandUnion ENGI0018-023 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260031
AshtabulaUnion ENGI0018-023 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260032
AthensUnion ENGI0018-022 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260033
AuglaizeUnion ENGI0018-024 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260034
ChampaignUnion ENGI0018-024 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260035
ClarkUnion ENGI0018-034 2024-05-01$44.14$16.41$60.55OH20260072

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

Is construction work growing in Ohio?

289.4kConstruction jobsOhio, 2026-08
+7.0%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025289kAug 2026
Construction employment in Ohio (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
Delaware County2,405$96,672$1,859
Union County2,117$95,544$1,837
Franklin County24,313$92,686$1,782
Butler County6,913$88,888$1,709
Wyandot County915$87,638$1,685
Jackson County568$87,194$1,677
Fairfield County2,731$87,052$1,674
Pike County301$86,494$1,663
Summit County8,784$84,432$1,624
Cuyahoga County16,326$82,393$1,584
Stark County5,907$81,825$1,574
Shelby County1,206$81,167$1,561

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Ohio

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Ohio?

The median crane operator in Ohio earned $27.70 an hour ($57,620 a year) in May 2025, 15% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $22.50–$36.15; the top 10% earn more than $47.37.

Where does Ohio rank for crane operator pay?

Ohio ranks 46th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $27.70 an hour, and 43rd after adjusting for Ohio's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.8, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Ohio?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 53 counties, with a typical package of $60.55 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in Ohio?

BLS counted 1,780 crane and tower operators in Ohio in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.16; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Ohio 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.