Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in West Virginia

Median $26.36 an hour for 170 crane operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$26.36/hrMedian hourly wageWest Virginia, May data
$54,830/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.43 – $34.6610th to 90th percentilehourly range
170Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Crane operator pay in West Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, West VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrWest Virginia: 10th $17.43 · 25th $19.09 · median $26.36 · 75th $28.76 · 90th $34.66West Virginia$26.36$17.43$34.66United States: 10th $20.50 · 25th $25.29 · median $32.73 · 75th $40.00 · 90th $49.79United States$32.73
Hourly wage percentiles for crane operators: West Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

West Virginia ranks 47th of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 45th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.45). 170 crane operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$17.43 – $19.09$36,260 – $39,720roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$19.09 – $28.76$39,720 – $59,810the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$28.76 – $34.66$59,810 – $72,090the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in West Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrWashington DC: $44.29Washington DC$44.29Winchester: $30.52Winchester$30.52Huntington: $27.30Huntington$27.30
Median hourly wage for crane operators by metro area in West Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$29.95$44.29$40.67$45.5341068% above
Winchester$19.75$30.52$31.63$42.294016% above
Huntington$18.09$27.30$30.88$38.44804% above

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Crane operator wages in West Virginia over time

West Virginia, 1999-2025West VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$26.36West Virginia
Median hourly wage for crane operators, West Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWest Virginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.24$29.45$15.291,230
2000$12.72$23.78$15.891,180
2001$13.57$24.67$16.641,090
2002$13.96$24.98$17.47940
2003$13.55$23.71$17.86860
2004$12.71$21.66$17.99850
2005$12.64$20.84$18.69780
2006$13.40$21.40$18.77980
2007$14.70$22.82$19.36660
2008$14.83$22.18$20.13640
2009$13.98$20.98$21.22410
2010$13.86$20.46$22.23580
2011$14.28$20.44$22.34620
2012$14.12$19.80$22.73890
2013$13.50$18.66$23.38820
2014$17.03$23.16$24.39480
2015$22.08$29.99$24.83290
2016$22.97$30.81$25.08190
2017$24.46$32.13$25.10210
2018$24.99$32.04$26.03230
2019$26.25$33.06$27.26220
2020$27.19$33.82$28.71220
2021$23.36$27.75$29.92420
2022$24.61$27.07$29.49440
2023$29.07$30.71$31.10400
2024$26.27$26.96$31.91200
2025$26.36$26.36$32.73170

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in West Virginia changed by -12.1% over the last ten years of data and by -20.3% since 2019.

Are there more crane operator jobs in West Virginia?

0.2Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.9× the US share, 31st of 47 states

BLS counted 170 crane operators in West Virginia in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 16%. 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 West Virginia

+2.8%Projected growth in West Virginia2024–2034, state agency
20Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
180Jobs in 2024180 projected for 2034
+3.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

West Virginia's labor market agency projects the number of crane operators in the state to change by +2.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 180 to 180, with about 20 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 170 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in West Virginia

On federally funded construction in West Virginia, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 55 of the 55 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $68.26 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $26.36.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WVBarbour: $68.26 (union)Berkeley: $68.26 (union)Boone: $68.26 (union)Braxton: $68.26 (union)Brooke: $68.26 (union)Cabell: $68.26 (union)Calhoun: $68.26 (union)Clay: $68.26 (union)Doddridge: $68.26 (union)Fayette: $68.26 (union)Gilmer: $68.26 (union)Grant: $68.26 (union)Greenbrier: $68.26 (union)Hampshire: $68.26 (union)Hancock: $68.26 (union)Hardy: $68.26 (union)Harrison: $68.26 (union)Jackson: $68.26 (union)Jefferson: $68.26 (union)Kanawha: $68.26 (union)Lewis: $68.26 (union)Lincoln: $68.26 (union)Logan: $68.26 (union)McDowell: $68.26 (union)Marion: $68.26 (union)Marshall: $68.26 (union)Mason: $68.26 (union)Mercer: $68.26 (union)Mineral: $68.26 (union)Mingo: $68.26 (union)Monongalia: $68.26 (union)Monroe: $68.26 (union)Morgan: $68.26 (union)Nicholas: $68.26 (union)Ohio: $68.26 (union)Pendleton: $68.26 (union)Pleasants: $68.26 (union)Pocahontas: $68.26 (union)Preston: $68.26 (union)Putnam: $68.26 (union)Raleigh: $68.26 (union)Randolph: $68.26 (union)Ritchie: $68.26 (union)Roane: $68.26 (union)Summers: $68.26 (union)Taylor: $68.26 (union)Tucker: $68.26 (union)Tyler: $68.26 (union)Upshur: $68.26 (union)Wayne: $68.26 (union)Webster: $68.26 (union)Wetzel: $68.26 (union)Wirt: $68.26 (union)Wood: $68.26 (union)Wyoming: $68.26 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr
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)$20$40$60$80/hrBerkeley (West Virginia): market median $26.36, prevailing (union) $68.26, gap +$41.90Berkeley (West Virginia)+$41.90Cabell (Huntington): market median $27.30, prevailing (union) $68.26, gap +$40.96Cabell (Huntington)+$40.96Hampshire (Winchester): market median $30.52, prevailing (union) $68.26, gap +$37.74Hampshire (Winchester)+$37.74Jefferson (Washington DC): market median $44.29, prevailing (union) $68.26, gap +$23.97Jefferson (Washington DC)+$23.97
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in West Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BarbourUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260033
BerkeleyUnion ENGI0132-009 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260034
BooneUnion ENGI0132-011 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260049
BraxtonUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260004
BrookeUnion ENGI0132-012 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260050
CabellUnion ENGI0132-010 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260035
CalhounUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260033
ClayUnion ENGI0132-011 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260049
DoddridgeUnion ENGI0132-006 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260005
FayetteUnion ENGI0132-008 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260006
GilmerUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260007
GrantUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260008
GreenbrierUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260009
HampshireUnion ENGI0132-009 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260036
HancockUnion ENGI0132-012 2024-12-01$46.21$22.05$68.26WV20260050

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the West Virginia prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in West Virginia?

35.2kConstruction jobsWest Virginia, 2026-09
-5.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k1990199520002005201020152020202535kSep 2026
Construction employment in West Virginia (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. Across the 38 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 14,371 in 2015 to 15,870 in 2025, +10.4%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
McDowell County512$83,385$1,604
Brooke County18143$82,021$1,577
Putnam County1061,081$81,436$1,566
Cabell County1351,328$76,653$1,474
Marshall County27328$76,068$1,463
Kanawha County2542,097$75,814$1,458
Mineral County28205$72,925$1,402
Harrison County1021,125$72,447$1,393
Lewis County20291$72,256$1,390
Wood County1021,098$72,016$1,385
Wetzel County19182$71,927$1,383
Monongalia County1741,370$71,329$1,372

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in West Virginia

More on West Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in West Virginia?

The median crane operator in West Virginia earned $26.36 an hour ($54,830 a year) in May 2025, 19% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $19.09–$28.76; the top 10% earn more than $34.66.

Where does West Virginia rank for crane operator pay?

West Virginia ranks 47th of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $26.36 an hour, and 45th after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in West Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 55 counties, with a typical package of $68.26 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in West Virginia?

BLS counted 170 crane operators in West Virginia in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.90; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is crane operator work growing in West Virginia?

West Virginia's labor market agency projects +2.8% growth for crane operators between 2024 and 2034, from 180 to 180 jobs.

How many crane operator openings a year are there in West Virginia?

West Virginia projects about 20 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, West Virginia 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: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.