Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA make a median of $60,110 a year, or about $28.9 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $69,044 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 26.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $60K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Pay for crane and tower operators in Waterloo-Cedar Falls runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crane and tower operators in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dubuque | $50K | $57K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $69K | $78K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $76K | $83K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $56K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $20K 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
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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 26.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for crane and tower operators in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,604/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is crane and tower operator a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $60K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $60,110 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,070, 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,945/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 26.6% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (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 $69,044 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.