Crane and Tower Operators in North Carolina

Get the information you need to know about working as a Crane or Tower Operator.

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

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

• Crane and Tower Operators in North Carolina earn lower 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 North Carolina?

930 people worked as Crane and Tower Operators in 2018 in this state.

There were 750 Crane and Tower Operators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 180 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for North Carolina

Jobs for Crane and Tower Operators in this state are growing at a rate of 11.6% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 8.5%.

North Carolina Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 80 annual job openings, and a total of 770 jobs for North Carolina Crane and Tower Operators in 2026.

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

What do Crane and Tower Operators Make in North Carolina?

In 2018 wages for Crane and Tower Operators ranged from $28,750 to $69,000 with $48,470 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $13.82 to $33.17. The median hourly rate was $23.3.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $24.08 an hour.

The hourly rate declined by $0.78.

The median salary in North Carolina is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top North Carolina 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
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	810	$58,630
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	410	$47,380
Raleigh, NC	90	$61,350
Wilmington, NC	80	$53,080
Winston-Salem, NC	80	$45,290

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.