National Salary Info » Crane and Tower Operators

Highest Paying Industries for Crane and Tower Operators

The top 100 highest paying industries for crane and tower operators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $74,850, support activities for water transportation is the highest paying industry for crane and tower operators. It is followed by utilities industry (average annual salary $68,380). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of crane and tower operators in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Crane and Tower Operators

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$74,850	$36,220	3,040
2	Utilities	$68,380	$36,350	180
3	Support Activities for Transportation	$66,710	$33,620	3,990
4	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$66,520	$35,820	160
5	Waste Collection	$64,340	$24,930	n/a
6	Metal Ore Mining	$60,720	$49,960	50
7	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$58,920	$35,600	100
8	Oil and Gas Extraction	$58,850	$44,000	60
9	Other Specialty Trade Contractors	$58,300	$36,520	8,990
10	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$57,870	$38,130	520
11	Residential Building Construction	$57,790	$25,660	110
12	Federal government, including USPS	$57,780	$48,330	580
13	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$57,780	$48,330	580
14	Utility System Construction	$57,770	$35,910	1,350
15	Specialty Trade Contractors	$57,150	$36,000	11,450
16	Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors	$56,710	$33,370	200
17	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$56,540	$40,120	990
18	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$56,540	$40,020	990
19	Federal, State, and Local Government	$56,540	$40,020	990
20	Construction	$56,320	$35,490	17,030
21	Transportation and Warehousing	$55,620	$32,920	6,400
22	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$55,560	$34,860	3,560
23	Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation	$54,830	$49,040	60
24	Truck Transportation	$54,710	$38,780	770
25	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$54,660	$34,070	290
26	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$54,620	$34,030	290
27	Support Activities for Mining	$54,420	$33,330	2,610
28	Building Equipment Contractors	$54,250	$35,970	960
29	Other Building Equipment Contractors	$54,200	$38,280	730
30	Specialized Freight Trucking	$54,000	$35,820	n/a
31	Mining	$53,940	$33,260	3,040
32	Construction of Buildings	$53,780	$34,650	2,020
33	Nonresidential Building Construction	$53,700	$35,040	1,910
34	Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	$52,750	$28,810	880
35	Other Food Manufacturing	$52,740	$42,370	50
36	Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	$52,680	$33,950	1,450
37	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	$52,670	$33,750	1,700
38	Rental and Leasing Services	$52,290	$27,930	900
39	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$52,290	$27,930	900
40	Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	$51,470	$29,710	140
41	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$51,380	$31,900	340
42	Food Manufacturing	$51,160	$34,160	90
43	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$50,240	$39,860	1,690
44	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$50,140	$32,360	370
45	Rail Transportation	$50,070	$31,610	260
46	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$49,970	$28,990	110
47	Ship and Boat Building	$49,700	$38,680	780
48	Chemical Manufacturing	$49,190	$40,470	110
49	Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing	$49,170	$21,460	60
50	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$49,010	$28,330	230
51	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$48,950	$40,930	n/a
52	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$48,500	$36,740	240
53	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$48,250	$29,160	90
54	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$47,880	$22,620	100
55	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$47,370	$40,150	570
56	State government, including schools and hospitals	$47,130	$34,650	130
57	Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance	$47,000	$37,550	30
58	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$46,960	$31,430	290
59	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$46,810	$34,100	270
60	Machinery Manufacturing	$46,620	$33,030	380
61	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$46,510	$34,590	130
62	Water Transportation	$46,020	$34,080	570
63	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$45,400	$32,210	230
64	Roofing Contractors	$44,830	$26,970	200
65	Support Activities for Rail Transportation	$44,800	$29,740	770
66	Inland Water Transportation	$44,790	$33,750	510
67	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	$44,740	$40,100	80
68	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$44,660	$27,230	2,470
69	Repair and Maintenance	$44,510	$26,960	130
70	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$44,510	$26,960	130
71	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$44,290	$27,700	50
72	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$44,110	$32,230	n/a
73	Manufacturing	$44,040	$27,610	10,250
74	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$43,870	$21,810	40
75	Masonry Contractors	$43,840	$27,650	50
76	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$43,520	$29,280	40
77	Forging and Stamping	$43,290	$32,040	80
78	Warehousing and Storage	$43,280	$27,340	800
79	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	$43,180	$27,070	50
80	Building Finishing Contractors	$43,120	$33,790	n/a
81	Support Activities for Road Transportation	$42,720	$31,270	150
82	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$42,630	$26,800	5,630
83	Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$42,240	$24,590	190
84	Commercial and Industrial Machinery Equipment (except Auto and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	$41,680	$25,860	90
85	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$41,490	$24,680	n/a
86	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$41,300	$25,600	930
87	Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	$40,650	$26,940	1,630
88	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$40,620	$26,240	660
89	Administrative and Support Services	$40,040	$24,050	n/a
90	Temporary Help Services	$39,910	$24,170	n/a
91	Employment Services	$39,860	$24,090	n/a
92	Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing	$39,200	$26,030	580
93	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	$39,150	$24,280	810
94	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$39,010	$25,990	810
95	Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	$38,800	$31,100	70
96	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$38,580	$25,740	80
97	Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers	$38,030	$31,300	n/a
98	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$37,790	$26,110	3,630
99	Wholesale Trade	$37,760	$25,940	3,790
100	Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers	$37,700	$26,050	1,070