Crane and Tower Operators in California

Considering a career as a Crane or Tower Operator in California?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Crane and Tower Operators in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Crane and Tower Operators in California is growing faster than average.

• Crane and Tower Operators in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Crane or Tower Operator Career?

• Transportation & Materials Moving
• Ground Transportation
• Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
• Mobil Crane Operation/Operator

How Many Crane and Tower Operators Work in California?

There were approximately 3,310 workers employed as Crane and Tower Operators in this state in 2018.

There were 3,270 Crane and Tower Operators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 40 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 590 Crane and Tower Operators working in it, which means California has more Crane and Tower Operators than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Crane and Tower Operators in this state are growing at a rate of 13.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 8.5%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 370 annual Crane and Tower Operators job openings in California, and 3,400 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 5,300 annual jobs and 49,900 total jobs in 2026.

What do Crane and Tower Operators Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Crane and Tower Operators ranged from $29,830 to $101,280 with $63,280 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $14.34 to $48.69. The median hourly rate was $30.43.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $27.5 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $2.93.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Crane and Tower Operators

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Crane and Tower Operators.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	1,440	$64,780
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	330	$64,050
Bakersfield, CA	330	$57,310
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	200	$84,770
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	160	$69,040
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	50	$67,080

Top States for Crane and Tower Operators Employment

The table below shows the states where most Crane and Tower Operators work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	5,850	$54,310
California	3,310	$63,280
Pennsylvania	3,140	$46,710
Louisiana	2,890	$49,520
Florida	2,560	$55,700
Indiana	2,080	$53,180
Illinois	1,730	$48,070
Ohio	1,720	$44,030
Virginia	1,510	$60,990
Washington	1,350	$72,310
New York	1,260	$0
Michigan	1,080	$43,600
Alabama	1,030	$49,200
North Carolina	930	$48,470
Georgia	850	$50,960
Oregon	810	$69,560
Iowa	800	$54,960
Kentucky	770	$48,950
New Jersey	760	$69,860
Tennessee	690	$52,240

Below are the states where Crane and Tower Operators get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$86,230
Alaska	$81,000
Washington	$72,310
Nevada	$70,040
New Jersey	$69,860
Oregon	$69,560
Montana	$66,080
Connecticut	$65,120
California	$63,280
North Dakota	$61,660

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.