Hourly Wage for Crane Operator, Sr. Salary in the United States
What is the highest and lowest hourly pay for Crane Operator, Sr.?
As of July 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Crane Operator, Sr. in the United States is
$35, which translates to an annual salary of about $73,768.
However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors.
Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $43 per hour
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $32 to $39 per hour
Key Factors That Influence Crane Operator, Sr. Salaries
A Crane Operator, Sr.'s salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Crane Operator, Sr. Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Crane Operator, Sr.'s salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $70,366
Early Career (1-2 years): $70,933
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $73,768
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $76,769
Expert (over 8 years): $78,329
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Crane Operator, Sr.
$70,366
Intermediate Level Crane Operator, Sr.
$70,933
Senior Level Crane Operator, Sr.
$73,768
Specialist Level Crane Operator, Sr.
$76,769
Expert Level Crane Operator, Sr.
$78,329
$70,3660 yr
$70,933< 2 yrs
$73,7682-4 yrs
$76,7695-8 yrs
$78,329> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Crane Operator, Sr. Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Crane Operator, Sr.s.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $93,044
San Francisco: $92,025
Oakland: $90,085
San Jose, CA$93,044
San Francisco, CA$92,025
Oakland, CA$90,085
New York, NY$84,936
Paramus, NJ$83,903
Queens Village, NY$83,899
Passaic, NJ$83,829
Bergenfield, NJ$83,823
Stamford, CT$83,660
Huntington, NY$83,630
Newark, NJ$83,085
Bridgeport, CT$82,929
Vallejo, CA$82,782
New Brunswick, NJ$82,753
Petaluma, CA$82,709
Middlesex, NJ$82,569
Somerset, NJ$82,517
Santa Cruz, CA$82,421
Boston, MA$81,971
Monterey, CA$81,712
Seattle, WA$81,543
Santa Rosa, CA$81,528
Los Angeles, CA$81,506
Juneau, AK$81,314
Washington, DC$81,233
Orange, CA$80,971
Santa Ana, CA$80,776
Long Beach, CA$80,702
Anaheim, CA$80,687
Anchorage, AK$80,651
Santa Maria, CA$80,429
Everett, WA$80,414
Danbury, CT$80,155
Bremerton, WA$80,053
Tacoma, WA$79,787
New Suffolk, NY$79,786
Sacramento, CA$79,765
Santa Barbara, CA$79,684
Trenton, NJ$79,603
San Diego, CA$79,603
Brockton, MA$79,522
Fairbanks, AK$79,341
Lompoc, CA$79,153
Lowell, MA$79,093
Ventura, CA$79,079
Nashua, NH$79,065
Stockton, CA$79,057
Modesto, CA$78,519
Poughkeepsie, NY$78,356
Olympia, WA$78,216
Kennewick, WA$78,216
New Haven, CT$78,187
Lawrence, MA$77,921
Hartford, CT$77,847
Riverside, CA$77,833
New Bedford, MA$77,759
Richland, WA$77,759
Bakersfield, CA$77,656
San Bernardino, CA$77,626
New Britain, CT$77,619
Atlantic City, NJ$77,619
New London, CT$77,589
Norwich, CT$77,567
Portsmouth, NH$77,552
Boulder, CO$77,396
Portland, OR$77,294
Worcester, MA$77,287
Minneapolis, MN$77,058
Philadelphia, PA$76,955
Honolulu, HI$76,711
Saint Paul, MN$76,676
Vineland, NJ$76,660
Providence, RI$76,446
Chicago, IL$76,232
Bellingham, WA$76,143
Springfield, MA$76,084
Baltimore, MD$76,062
Chico, CA$75,878
Pittsfield, MA$75,679
Manchester, NH$75,538
Spokane, WA$75,214
Denver, CO$75,206
Albany, NY$74,860
Troy, NY$74,830
Nassau, NY$74,751
Schenectady, NY$74,675
Wilmington, DE$74,616
Burlington, VT$74,513
Salem, OR$74,484
Portland, ME$74,255
Yakima, WA$74,181
Rochester, MN$73,952
Reno, NV$73,916
Fresno, CA$73,916
Milwaukee, WI$73,849
Detroit, MI$73,775
Ann Arbor, MI$73,763
Allentown, PA$73,753
Colorado Springs, CO$73,628
Syracuse, NY$73,591
Carson City, NV$73,591
Houston, TX$73,488
Eugene, OR$73,451
Gary, IN$73,362
Springfield, OR$73,303
Bismarck, ND$73,289
Galveston, TX$73,237
Medford, OR$73,126
Fort Collins, CO$73,097
Concord, NH$73,060
Austin, TX$73,038
Mesa, AZ$72,883
Reading, PA$72,875
Phoenix, AZ$72,868
Dallas, TX$72,846
Saint Cloud, MN$72,775
Madison, WI$72,676
Utica, NY$72,477
Rochester, NY$72,359
Des Moines, IA$72,352
Raleigh, NC$72,344
Atlanta, GA$72,234
Battle Creek, MI$72,211
Salt Lake City, UT$72,189
Lancaster, PA$72,079
Harrisburg, PA$71,975
Kansas City, MO$71,902
Champaign, IL$71,887
Kansas City, KS$71,887
Fort Worth, TX$71,880
Columbus, OH$71,867
Boca Raton, FL$71,850
Pittsburgh, PA$71,821
Richmond, VA$71,791
Indianapolis, IN$71,776
Cleveland, OH$71,769
Las Vegas, NV$71,680
Cincinnati, OH$71,680
Petersburg, VA$71,570
Huntsville, AL$71,459
Lansing, MI$71,410
Lebanon, PA$71,400
Pueblo, CO$71,393
Appleton, WI$71,371
Buffalo, NY$71,341
Dayton, OH$71,319
Racine, WI$71,304
Charlotte, NC$71,297
Saint Louis, MO$71,275
York, PA$71,230
Elkhart, IN$71,230
Gastonia, NC$71,216
Billings, MT$71,199
Beaumont, TX$71,179
Lorain, OH$71,164
Benton Harbor, MI$71,149
Toledo, OH$71,134
Binghamton, NY$71,098
Rock Hill, SC$71,090
Rockford, IL$71,053
Springfield, IL$71,024
Elyria, OH$71,016
Fargo, ND$71,016
Flagstaff, AZ$70,965
Fort Lauderdale, FL$70,921
Duluth, MN$70,876
Miami, FL$70,876
Cheyenne, WY$70,825
Grand Forks, ND$70,825
Bangor, ME$70,662
Cedar Rapids, IA$70,581
Durham, NC$70,550
Louisville, KY$70,544
Grand Rapids, MI$70,530
Hialeah, FL$70,522
Casper, WY$70,419
Scranton, PA$70,330
New Orleans, LA$70,308
Virginia Beach, VA$70,301
Akron, OH$70,264
Peoria, IL$70,168
Sarasota, FL$70,153
Nashville, TN$70,102
Omaha, NE$70,102
Green Bay, WI$70,102
Baton Rouge, LA$70,065
Charleston, SC$70,050
Jamestown, NY$70,013
Davenport, IA$70,013
Tucson, AZ$69,976
Saint Petersburg, FL$69,932
Tampa, FL$69,917
Evansville, IN$69,873
Port Arthur, TX$69,873
Bradenton, FL$69,844
Santa Fe, NM$69,711
Orlando, FL$69,578
Clearwater, FL$69,556
Canton, OH$69,401
La Crosse, WI$69,401
Albuquerque, NM$69,357
Newport News, VA$69,349
High Point, NC$69,327
Ogden, UT$69,298
Corpus Christi, TX$69,239
Norfolk, VA$69,194
Laramie, WY$69,194
Rock Island, IL$69,150
Saginaw, MI$69,135
Jacksonville, FL$69,128
Salisbury, NC$69,113
Boise, ID$69,098
Moline, IL$69,062
Fort Myers, FL$69,039
Memphis, TN$69,025
Tulsa, OK$68,988
Waterloo, IA$68,944
Spartanburg, SC$68,870
Lincoln, NE$68,833
Fort Wayne, IN$68,818
Provo, UT$68,811
Cedar Falls, IA$68,722
San Antonio, TX$68,693
Greensboro, NC$68,663
South Bend, IN$68,656
Savannah, GA$68,575
Muskegon, MI$68,545
Birmingham, AL$68,538
Winston Salem, NC$68,502
Lake Charles, LA$68,324
Anderson, IN$68,309
Lexington, KY$68,287
Augusta, GA$68,265
Greenville, SC$68,265
Lima, OH$68,206
Wichita, KS$68,199
Tuscaloosa, AL$68,199
Columbia, SC$68,132
Springfield, OH$68,117
Asheville, NC$67,999
Bloomington, IN$67,948
Knoxville, TN$67,682
Shreveport, LA$67,675
Wilmington, NC$67,579
Roanoke, VA$67,579
Topeka, KS$67,446
Frankfort, KY$67,438
Oklahoma City, OK$67,387
Chillicothe, OH$67,358
Longview, TX$67,350
Melbourne, FL$67,343
Sioux Falls, SD$67,225
Mobile, AL$67,217
Terre Haute, IN$67,188
Altoona, PA$67,144
Amarillo, TX$67,092
Killeen, TX$67,070
Fayetteville, AR$67,011
Chattanooga, TN$66,989
Sioux City, IA$66,922
Idaho Falls, ID$66,908
Lynchburg, VA$66,849
Gainesville, FL$66,753
Portsmouth, OH$66,716
Little Rock, AR$66,701
Lafayette, LA$66,672
Youngstown, OH$66,672
Daytona Beach, FL$66,627
Clarksville, TN$66,620
Pensacola, FL$66,613
Temple, TX$66,607
Hopkinsville, KY$66,391
Erie, PA$66,376
Florence, SC$66,347
Charleston, WV$66,229
Great Falls, MT$66,192
Macon, GA$66,089
Tallahassee, FL$66,081
Fayetteville, NC$66,067
Waco, TX$66,052
Helena, MT$66,000
Pine Bluff, AR$65,972
Vincennes, IN$65,882
Lubbock, TX$65,853
Alamogordo, NM$65,808
Twin Falls, ID$65,742
Rapid City, SD$65,720
Jackson, MS$65,587
Huntington, WV$65,582
Greenville, MS$65,580
Parkersburg, WV$65,505
Montgomery, AL$65,491
Wichita Falls, TX$65,417
Springfield, MO$65,417
Biloxi, MS$65,381
Monroe, LA$65,307
Johnstown, PA$65,255
Sumter, SC$65,226
Columbus, GA$65,218
Pascagoula, MS$65,078
Abilene, TX$65,078
Kingsport, TN$64,886
Albany, GA$64,886
Gulfport, MS$64,864
Alexandria, LA$64,621
Fort Smith, AR$64,436
El Paso, TX$64,237
Las Cruces, NM$63,905
Harlingen, TX$63,718
Pocatello, ID$63,706
Florence, AL$63,610
Brownsville, TX$63,595
Mcallen, TX$63,440
Dothan, AL$63,337
Columbus, MS$62,899
Altus, OK$62,555
Lawton, OK$62,415
Pierre, SD$62,150
Crane Operator, Sr. Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Crane Operator, Sr. salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $82,514.
While startup companies pay approximate $69,813.
Crane Operator, Sr. Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$69,813
Growth Stage
51~500
$73,827
Established
501~5000
$79,693
Enterprise
5000+
$82,514
Crane Operator, Sr. Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Crane Operator, Sr. roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 90% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Energy & Utilities
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Crane Operator, Sr. positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Crane Operator, Sr. as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Crane Operator, Sr.
Understanding how a Crane Operator, Sr.'s annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Crane Operator, Sr. can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,992 in 2023
to around $54,329 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Crane Operator, Sr. salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Crane Operator, Sr. Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$54,992
2024
$54,962
2025
$54,329
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,992
2024
$54,962
2025
$54,329
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Crane Operator, Sr.
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Crane Operator, Sr.
Here are companies hiring for Crane Operator, Sr. and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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FAQ about Crane Operator, Sr.
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Crane Operator, Sr.?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Crane Operator, Sr. roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
2. What are the responsibilities of Crane Operator, Sr.?
Operates a crane to lift, move, load, unload, or position heavy materials or equipment. Performs daily safety and performance checks of crane equipment and may perform routine maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating or checking fluid levels. Communicates via hand or radio signals to receive or convey instructions. Identifies and addresses potential hazards and adheres to all safety protocols. Maintains documentation of activities including time logs and inspection reports to ensure compliance with regulations and operating procedures. Typically requires a high school diploma. May require NCCCO Certification. May require State License. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works independently within established procedures associated with the specific job function. Has gained proficiency in multiple competencies relevant to the job. Typically requires 3-5 years of related experience.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
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