Skilled Wages

Crane operator salary in Wisconsin

Median $32.56 an hour for 440 crane and tower operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$32.56/hrMedian hourly wageWisconsin, May data
$67,720/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.55 – $50.2010th to 90th percentilehourly range
440Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Crane operator pay in Wisconsin: the full range

Wage percentiles, WisconsinMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrWisconsin: 10th $23.55 · 25th $25.74 · median $32.56 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $50.20Wisconsin$32.56$23.55$50.20United 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: Wisconsin vs United States, May 2025.

Wisconsin ranks 23rd of 50 states for median crane operator pay, and 23rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.60). 440 crane and tower operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.55 – $25.74$48,980 – $53,530roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$25.74 – $40.92$53,530 – $85,110the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$40.92 – $50.20$85,110 – $104,420the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Crane operator pay by metro in Wisconsin

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrMinneapolis: $47.86Minneapolis$47.86Duluth: $36.17Duluth$36.17Green Bay: $35.47Green Bay$35.47Milwaukee: $28.57Milwaukee$28.57
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators by metro area in Wisconsin, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Minneapolis$25.69$47.86$58.0418047% above
Duluth$24.56$36.17$50.344011% above
Green Bay$24.50$35.47$48.68409% above
Milwaukee$22.39$28.57$50.209012% below

Crane operator wages in Wisconsin over time

Wisconsin, 1999-2025WisconsinUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$32.73United States$32.56Wisconsin
Median hourly wage for crane and tower operators, Wisconsin vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWisconsin $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.61$28.23$15.29830
2000$14.78$27.63$15.891,240
2001$15.40$28.00$16.641,040
2002$17.18$30.74$17.47830
2003$16.77$29.34$17.86910
2004$18.67$31.82$17.99700
2005$20.31$33.48$18.69580
2006$19.59$31.28$18.77750
2007$19.79$30.73$19.36650
2008$18.33$27.41$20.13640
2009$17.93$26.91$21.22500
2010$20.73$30.61$22.23490
2011$19.04$27.25$22.34580
2012$20.35$28.54$22.73680
2013$19.49$26.93$23.38580
2014$20.55$27.95$24.39500
2015$22.87$31.06$24.83420
2016$20.22$27.12$25.08320
2017$21.25$27.91$25.10440
2018$20.92$26.82$26.03320
2019$21.44$27.00$27.26460
2020$23.17$28.82$28.71420
2021$29.75$35.35$29.92610
2022$25.83$28.41$29.49530
2023$29.64$31.32$31.10600
2024$32.84$33.70$31.91730
2025$32.56$32.56$32.73440

In today's dollars, the median crane operator wage in Wisconsin changed by +4.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for crane operators in Wisconsin

On federally funded construction in Wisconsin, contractors must pay crane operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 72 of the 72 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $78.42 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $32.56.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WIAdams: $78.42 (union)Ashland: $78.42 (union)Barron: $78.42 (union)Bayfield: $78.42 (union)Brown: $78.42 (union)Buffalo: $78.42 (union)Burnett: $78.42 (union)Calumet: $78.42 (union)Chippewa: $78.42 (union)Clark: $78.42 (union)Columbia: $78.42 (union)Crawford: $78.42 (union)Dane: $78.42 (union)Dodge: $78.42 (union)Door: $78.42 (union)Douglas: $78.42 (union)Dunn: $78.42 (union)Eau Claire: $78.42 (union)Florence: $78.42 (union)Fond du Lac: $78.42 (union)Forest: $78.42 (union)Grant: $78.42 (union)Green: $78.42 (union)Green Lake: $78.42 (union)Iowa: $78.42 (union)Iron: $78.42 (union)Jackson: $78.42 (union)Jefferson: $78.42 (union)Juneau: $78.42 (union)Kenosha: $83.26 (union)Kewaunee: $78.42 (union)La Crosse: $78.42 (union)Lafayette: $78.42 (union)Langlade: $78.42 (union)Lincoln: $78.42 (union)Manitowoc: $78.42 (union)Marathon: $78.42 (union)Marinette: $78.42 (union)Marquette: $78.42 (union)Menominee: $78.42 (union)Milwaukee: $83.26 (union)Monroe: $78.42 (union)Oconto: $78.42 (union)Oneida: $78.42 (union)Outagamie: $78.42 (union)Ozaukee: $83.26 (union)Pepin: $78.42 (union)Pierce: $78.42 (union)Polk: $78.42 (union)Portage: $78.42 (union)Price: $78.42 (union)Racine: $83.26 (union)Richland: $78.42 (union)Rock: $78.42 (union)Rusk: $78.42 (union)St. Croix: $78.42 (union)Sauk: $78.42 (union)Sawyer: $78.42 (union)Shawano: $78.42 (union)Sheboygan: $78.42 (union)Taylor: $78.42 (union)Trempealeau: $78.42 (union)Vernon: $78.42 (union)Vilas: $78.42 (union)Walworth: $78.42 (union)Washburn: $78.42 (union)Washington: $83.26 (union)Waukesha: $83.26 (union)Waupaca: $78.42 (union)Waushara: $78.42 (union)Winnebago: $78.42 (union)Wood: $78.42 (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$100/hrMilwaukee (Milwaukee): market median $28.57, prevailing (union) $83.26, gap +$54.69Milwaukee (Milwaukee)+$54.69Kenosha (Wisconsin): market median $32.56, prevailing (union) $83.26, gap +$50.70Kenosha (Wisconsin)+$50.70Brown (Green Bay): market median $35.47, prevailing (union) $78.42, gap +$42.95Brown (Green Bay)+$42.95Douglas (Duluth): market median $36.17, prevailing (union) $78.42, gap +$42.25Douglas (Duluth)+$42.25Pierce (Minneapolis): market median $47.86, prevailing (union) $78.42, gap +$30.56Pierce (Minneapolis)+$30.56
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for crane operators, metro counties in Wisconsin.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
KenoshaUnion ENGI0139-001 2025-06-01$54.71$28.55$83.26WI20260004
MilwaukeeUnion ENGI0139-001 2025-06-01$54.71$28.55$83.26WI20260001
OzaukeeUnion ENGI0139-001 2025-06-01$54.71$28.55$83.26WI20260001
RacineUnion ENGI0139-001 2025-06-01$54.71$28.55$83.26WI20260009
WashingtonUnion ENGI0139-001 2025-06-01$54.71$28.55$83.26WI20260001
WaukeshaUnion ENGI0139-001 2025-06-01$54.71$28.55$83.26WI20260001
AdamsUnion ENGI0139-004 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260011
AshlandUnion ENGI0139-004 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260011
BarronUnion ENGI0139-004 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260011
BayfieldUnion ENGI0139-004 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260011
BrownUnion ENGI0139-002 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260014
BuffaloUnion ENGI0139-004 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260011
BurnettUnion ENGI0139-004 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260011
CalumetUnion ENGI0139-002 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260016
ChippewaUnion ENGI0139-002 2025-06-02$50.53$27.89$78.42WI20260006

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

Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?

167.3kConstruction jobsWisconsin, 2026-08
+7.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025167kAug 2026
Construction employment in Wisconsin (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
Bayfield County271$111,909$2,152
Racine County3,219$97,833$1,881
Milwaukee County9,679$90,054$1,732
Waukesha County14,002$89,440$1,720
Fond du Lac County1,784$88,767$1,707
Outagamie County6,024$86,801$1,669
Winnebago County3,218$85,901$1,652
Dodge County1,226$84,364$1,622
Dane County10,631$83,128$1,599
Brown County5,798$79,780$1,534
Marathon County2,174$79,227$1,524
Dunn County566$78,118$1,502

Keep comparing

Crane operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Wisconsin

Questions this page answers

How much do crane operators make in Wisconsin?

The median crane operator in Wisconsin earned $32.56 an hour ($67,720 a year) in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $32.73. The middle half earn $25.74–$40.92; the top 10% earn more than $50.20.

Where does Wisconsin rank for crane operator pay?

Wisconsin ranks 23rd of 50 states for crane operator pay, with a median of $32.56 an hour, and 23rd after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).

What is the union crane operator rate in Wisconsin?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for crane operators in 72 counties, with a typical package of $78.42 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many crane operators work in Wisconsin?

BLS counted 440 crane and tower operators in Wisconsin in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.54; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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