Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Wichita, KS make a median of $78,180 a year, or about $37.59 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.95), which stretches that salary to about $87,892 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,099/month, or 21.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $78K get you in Wichita?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wichita’s Regional Price Parity (88.95). 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 Wichita
Wichita sits well above the national pay line for crane and tower operators, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,099/month, 22.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.95 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Wichita 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 Wichita, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $81K | $88K |
| St. Louis | $46K | $49K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $77K | , |
| Tulsa | $76K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wichita, KS
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $27K 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 Wichita numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wichita?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 22.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,099/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for crane and tower operators in Wichita?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,619/month. At HUD’s $1,099/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 Wichita?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $78K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Wichita compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Wichita pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Wichita, KS?
The median is $78,180 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,320, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $87,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Wichita?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,966/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,099/month, which eats 22.1% 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 Wichita?
Wichita has a Regional Price Parity of 88.95 (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 $87,892 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.