Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT make a median of $78,080 a year, or about $37.54 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $117K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.86), so that salary is closer to $73,068 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,511/month, about 49.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $78K get you in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury’s Regional Price Parity (106.86). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About crane and tower operators
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What this looks like in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury sits well above the national pay line for crane and tower operators, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,511/month, which is 50.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 7% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.86), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crane and tower operators in metros near Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $98K | $95K |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic | $71K | $71K |
| New Haven | $99K | $95K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $101K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $117K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Crane and Tower Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Crane and Tower Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $124K | +83% | 190 |
| Nevada | $116K | +70% | 380 |
| Rhode Island | $104K | +53% | N/A |
| Washington | $101K | +49% | 1,030 |
| New Jersey | $101K | +48% | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +44% | 680 |
| Alaska | $92K | +36% | 50 |
| Maryland | $88K | +29% | N/A |
| New York | $86K | +26% | 1,150 |
| Oregon | $83K | +22% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $83K | +22% | 180 |
| Montana | $83K | +22% | 30 |
| Connecticut | $81K | +20% | 220 |
| Minnesota | $81K | +19% | 370 |
| California | $80K | +17% | 2,130 |
| Wyoming | $78K | +15% | 230 |
| Colorado | $77K | +13% | 470 |
| Kansas | $77K | +13% | 780 |
| Texas | $73K | +8% | 6,010 |
| Vermont | $73K | +7% | 170 |
| Florida | $72K | +5% | 2,570 |
| South Dakota | $71K | +4% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $68K | -1% | 440 |
| Iowa | $68K | -1% | 650 |
| Utah | $67K | -1% | 440 |
| Arizona | $67K | -1% | 930 |
| Virginia | $67K | -2% | 1,120 |
| Maine | $66K | -4% | 360 |
| Pennsylvania | $65K | -4% | 1,630 |
| North Carolina | $64K | -5% | 1,050 |
| South Carolina | $64K | -6% | 720 |
| Oklahoma | $64K | -7% | 620 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | -7% | 170 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -8% | 290 |
| Georgia | $62K | -9% | 1,370 |
| Kentucky | $62K | -9% | 640 |
| Illinois | $62K | -9% | 1,220 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -10% | 550 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -10% | 1,930 |
| Alabama | $61K | -11% | 1,280 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -11% | 410 |
| Delaware | $60K | -12% | 220 |
| Michigan | $60K | -12% | 1,310 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -13% | 660 |
| Missouri | $58K | -14% | 630 |
| Ohio | $58K | -15% | 1,780 |
| West Virginia | $55K | -19% | 170 |
| Indiana | $53K | -22% | 2,300 |
| Idaho | $53K | -22% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $42K | -39% | 880 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track crane and tower operators salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 50.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,511/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for crane and tower operators in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,314/month. At HUD’s $2,511/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is crane and tower operator a high-paying job in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $78K here vs. $68K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 7% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT?
The median is $78,080 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,230, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $117,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,956/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,511/month, which eats 50.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a crane and tower operators salary go in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury has a Regional Price Parity of 106.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median crane and tower operators salary is worth about $73,068 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do crane and tower operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.