Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL make a median of $77,010 a year, or about $37.02 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $77,010 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,709/month, about 31.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $77K get you in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville sits well above the national pay line for crane and tower operators, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,709/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crane and tower operators in metros near Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, 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, Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $23K 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 32.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,709/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,546/month. At HUD’s $1,709/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $77K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $77K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?
The median is $77,010 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,100, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $81,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,214/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,709/month, which eats 32.8% 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median crane and tower operators salary is worth about $77,010 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.