Crane operator salary in Utah
Median $32.41 an hour for 440 crane operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Crane operator pay in Utah: the full range
Utah ranks 25th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 32nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.77). 440 crane operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.25 – $24.20 | $35,880 – $50,340 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $24.20 – $38.45 | $50,340 – $79,970 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $38.45 – $46.70 | $79,970 – $97,140 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Crane operator pay by metro in Utah
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | $29.53 | $38.45 | $38.11 | $59.14 | 250 | 19% above |
| Ogden | $29.49 | $34.59 | $34.49 | $37.23 | 40 | 7% above |
| Provo | $20.75 | $23.52 | $23.95 | $30.07 | 40 | 27% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Crane operator wages in Utah over time
Table
| Year | Utah $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $17.58 | $33.97 | $15.29 | 260 |
| 2000 | $16.95 | $31.69 | $15.89 | 320 |
| 2001 | $18.11 | $32.92 | $16.64 | 250 |
| 2002 | $18.34 | $32.82 | $17.47 | 260 |
| 2003 | $19.53 | $34.17 | $17.86 | 200 |
| 2004 | $16.11 | $27.46 | $17.99 | 210 |
| 2005 | $22.31 | $36.78 | $18.69 | 380 |
| 2006 | $22.52 | $35.96 | $18.77 | 320 |
| 2007 | $23.07 | $35.82 | $19.36 | 410 |
| 2008 | $21.71 | $32.46 | $20.13 | 390 |
| 2009 | $23.70 | $35.57 | $21.22 | 460 |
| 2010 | $25.03 | $36.95 | $22.23 | 340 |
| 2011 | $25.30 | $36.21 | $22.34 | 300 |
| 2012 | $20.83 | $29.21 | $22.73 | 200 |
| 2013 | $24.33 | $33.62 | $23.38 | 290 |
| 2014 | $25.19 | $34.26 | $24.39 | 460 |
| 2015 | $24.74 | $33.60 | $24.83 | 440 |
| 2016 | $22.63 | $30.36 | $25.08 | 390 |
| 2017 | $24.17 | $31.75 | $25.10 | 370 |
| 2018 | $24.60 | $31.54 | $26.03 | 290 |
| 2019 | $25.62 | $32.26 | $27.26 | 250 |
| 2020 | $27.38 | $34.06 | $28.71 | 230 |
| 2021 | $29.03 | $34.49 | $29.92 | 420 |
| 2022 | $29.52 | $32.47 | $29.49 | 390 |
| 2023 | $31.81 | $33.61 | $31.10 | 730 |
| 2024 | $33.18 | $34.05 | $31.91 | 510 |
| 2025 | $32.41 | $32.41 | $32.73 | 440 |
In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Utah changed by -3.6% over the last ten years of data and by +0.5% since 2019.
Are there more crane operator jobs in Utah?
BLS counted 440 crane operators in Utah in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 21%. 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 Utah
Utah's labor market agency projects the number of crane operators in the state to change by +8.3% between 2024 and 2034, from 510 to 550, with about 50 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 440 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Utah labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Utah?
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 24 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 57,352 in 2015 to 97,328 in 2025, +69.7%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Elder County | 162 | 1,523 | $76,498 | $1,471 |
| Utah County | 2,058 | 22,517 | $75,667 | $1,455 |
| Salt Lake County | 3,676 | 38,556 | $74,339 | $1,430 |
| Uintah County | 96 | 1,261 | $70,283 | $1,352 |
| Carbon County | 31 | 276 | $69,011 | $1,327 |
| Summit County | 211 | 1,507 | $67,319 | $1,295 |
| Davis County | 824 | 8,259 | $66,282 | $1,275 |
| Duchesne County | 66 | 392 | $65,283 | $1,255 |
| Weber County | 758 | 6,055 | $63,127 | $1,214 |
| Emery County | 15 | 165 | $63,062 | $1,213 |
| Millard County | 40 | 152 | $61,610 | $1,185 |
| Morgan County | 72 | 599 | $58,888 | $1,132 |
| Wasatch County | 181 | 1,024 | $58,288 | $1,121 |
| Juab County | 50 | 356 | $55,639 | $1,070 |
| Tooele County | 156 | 953 | $55,622 | $1,070 |
| Washington County | 1,086 | 8,008 | $54,600 | $1,050 |
| Grand County | 37 | 168 | $54,312 | $1,044 |
| Garfield County | 14 | 36 | $54,043 | $1,039 |
| Cache County | 450 | 2,691 | $52,109 | $1,002 |
| Iron County | 270 | 1,830 | $50,935 | $980 |
| Sanpete County | 86 | 445 | $49,876 | $959 |
| Beaver County | 20 | 108 | $48,476 | $932 |
| San Juan County | 15 | 148 | $45,683 | $879 |
| Sevier County | 68 | 318 | $40,761 | $784 |
| Kane County | 34 | 89 | $38,420 | $739 |
| Daggett County | — | — | — | — |
| Piute County | — | — | — | — |
| Rich County | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | — | — | — | — |
Keep comparing
Crane operator pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Utah
More on Utah
Questions this page answers
How much do crane operators make in Utah?
The median crane operator in Utah earned $32.41 an hour ($67,410 a year) in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $24.20–$38.45; the top 10% earn more than $46.70.
Where does Utah rank for crane operator pay?
Utah ranks 25th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $32.41 an hour, and 32nd after adjusting for Utah's cost of living (BEA price parity 98.9, US = 100).
What is the union crane operator rate in Utah?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a crane operator classification for most Utah counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many crane operators work in Utah?
BLS counted 440 crane operators in Utah in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.91; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is crane operator work growing in Utah?
Utah's labor market agency projects +8.3% growth for crane operators between 2024 and 2034, from 510 to 550 jobs.
How many crane operator openings a year are there in Utah?
Utah projects about 50 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, Utah 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: Utah labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.