Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA make a median of $79,500 a year, or about $38.22 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $126K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.35), that's roughly $79,223 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,131/month, or 20.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Spokane-Spokane Valley’s Regional Price Parity (100.35). 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley
Spokane-Spokane Valley sits well above the national pay line for crane and tower operators, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,131/month, 21.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Spokane-Spokane Valley offers a genuinely strong financial position for crane and tower operatorss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crane and tower operators in metros near Spokane-Spokane Valley, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $114K | $103K |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $99K | $94K |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes | $117K | $114K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $120K | $120K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $126K or more, a $64K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 21.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,131/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for crane and tower operators in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,737/month. At HUD’s $1,131/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is crane and tower operator a high-paying job in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $80K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Spokane-Spokane Valley compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Spokane-Spokane Valley pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA?
The median is $79,500 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,280, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $126,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,360/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,131/month, which eats 21.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a crane and tower operators salary go in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Spokane-Spokane Valley has a Regional Price Parity of 100.35 (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 $79,223 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.