Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Rockford, IL make a median of $49,400 a year, or about $23.75 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.15), which stretches that salary to about $53,608 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,175/month, about 34.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Rockford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rockford’s Regional Price Parity (92.15). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Rockford
Pay for crane and tower operators in Rockford runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,175/month, which is 35.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.15 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Rockford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $56K | $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, Rockford, IL
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $39K 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 Rockford numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rockford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 35.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,175/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Rockford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,285/month. At HUD’s $1,175/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Rockford?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $49K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Rockford compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Rockford pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.15), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Rockford, IL?
The median is $49,400 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,090, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $77,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Rockford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,274/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,175/month, which eats 35.9% 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 Rockford?
Rockford has a Regional Price Parity of 92.15 (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 $53,608 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.