Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $55,890 a year, or about $26.87 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $53,953 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 48.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Pay for crane and tower operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 48.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for crane and tower operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crane and tower operators in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Rockford | $49K | $54K |
| Dubuque | $50K | $57K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $72K | $75K |
| Kansas City | $81K | $88K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $67K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 48.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,417/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $56K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $55,890 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,290, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $107,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,682/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 48.4% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (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 $53,953 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.