Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Decatur, AL make a median of $45,640 a year, or about $21.94 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.21), which stretches that salary to about $52,333 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $961/month, about 30.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Decatur?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Decatur’s Regional Price Parity (87.21). 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 Decatur
Pay for crane and tower operators in Decatur runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $961/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crane and tower operators in metros near Decatur, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $48K | $52K |
| Mobile | $66K | $74K |
| Anniston-Oxford | $56K | $65K |
| Montgomery | $44K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Decatur, AL
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $66K 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 Decatur numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Decatur?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 31.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $961/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Decatur?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,346/month. At HUD’s $961/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Decatur?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $46K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Decatur compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Decatur pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Decatur, AL?
The median is $45,640 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,100, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $104,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Decatur?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,049/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $961/month, which eats 31.5% 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 Decatur?
Decatur has a Regional Price Parity of 87.21 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median crane and tower operators salary is worth about $52,333 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.