Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL make a median of $60,010 a year, or about $28.85 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.14), that's roughly $61,777 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,497/month, about 35.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lakeland-Winter Haven’s Regional Price Parity (97.14). 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven
Pay for crane and tower operators in Lakeland-Winter Haven runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,497/month, which is 35.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.14) 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $78K | $68K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $77K | $77K |
| Jacksonville | $65K | $65K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $73K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $35K 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 35.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,497/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,734/month. At HUD’s $1,497/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $60K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Lakeland-Winter Haven compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Lakeland-Winter Haven pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
The median is $60,010 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,560, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $80,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,188/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,497/month, which eats 35.7% 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Lakeland-Winter Haven has a Regional Price Parity of 97.14 (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 $61,777 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.