Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Urban Honolulu, HI make a median of $120,560 a year, or about $57.96 an hour. The range runs from $97K at the entry level to $132K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.96), so that salary is closer to $108,652 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,642/month, about 37.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $121K get you in Urban Honolulu?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Urban Honolulu’s Regional Price Parity (110.96). 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 Urban Honolulu
Urban Honolulu sits well above the national pay line for crane and tower operators, local pay runs about 77% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,642/month, which is 37.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.96), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Urban Honolulu, HI
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $97K. Mid-career wages sit at $121K. Top earners bring in $132K or more, a $36K 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 Urban Honolulu numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Urban Honolulu?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $121K, rent takes 37.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,642/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,100/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 Urban Honolulu?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $97K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,798/month. At HUD’s $2,642/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Urban Honolulu?
Local pay is 77% above the national median — $121K here vs. $68K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 11% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Urban Honolulu compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Urban Honolulu pays $121K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +77%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $109K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Urban Honolulu, HI?
The median is $120,560 a year, that works out to about $58 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $96,640, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $132,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $121K enough to live in Urban Honolulu?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,012/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,642/month, which eats 37.7% 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 Urban Honolulu?
Urban Honolulu has a Regional Price Parity of 110.96 (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 $108,652 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.