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Crane and Tower Operators in Virginia

Thinking about a career as a Crane and Tower Operators in Virginia? Below are the key facts. Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.

What do Crane and Tower Operators Make in Virginia?

For a crane and tower operators working in Virginia, the typical annual salary is $65,400 per year (or roughly $31.44/hour).Annual wages span from $41,720 at the 10th percentile to $85,820 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$41,720	$20.06
25th percentile	$51,940	$24.97
Median (50th)	$65,400	$31.44
75th percentile	$74,300	$35.72
90th percentile	$85,820	$41.26

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Virginia compared to the national average — is 1.16, indicating that crane and tower operators are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, crane and tower operators earn a median of $26,023 per year ($12.51/hour), above the Virginia median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 136,126 crane and tower operators in the U.S.. In Virginia alone, around 1,280 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 570 crane and tower operators.

Top Virginia Metros for Crane and Tower Operators

These are the Virginia metros with the most crane and tower operators in Virginia.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	540	$67,410
Richmond, VA	160	$54,240
Roanoke, VA	50	$56,990
Winchester, VA-WV	40	$61,940
Lynchburg, VA	40	$50,060

Top States for Crane and Tower Operators Employment

The table below shows the states where the most crane and tower operators work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	6,650
Florida	2,460
Ohio	2,120
California	2,010
Georgia	1,780
Louisiana	1,750
Pennsylvania	1,650
Indiana	1,600
New York	1,330
Virginia	1,280
Michigan	1,210
Alabama	1,170
Arizona	1,110
Illinois	1,100
North Carolina	1,100
South Carolina	980
Washington	890
Kentucky	770
Mississippi	770
New Jersey	740

Highest-Paying States for Crane and Tower Operators

Where crane and tower operators earn the most: crane and tower operators.

State	Annual Median Salary
Nevada	$129,930
Hawaii	$115,870
Oregon	$110,280
New York	$110,000
District of Columbia	$106,150
Washington	$96,870
Montana	$91,520
New Jersey	$88,470
Connecticut	$86,830
Alaska	$80,900

Skills

The most important crane and tower operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for crane and tower operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
• Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
• Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
• Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
• Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.
• Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary.
• Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.
• Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions.
• Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements, and remove and batch packaging tickets.
• Direct truck drivers backing vehicles into loading bays and cover, uncover, or secure loads for delivery.
• Weigh bundles, using floor scales, and record weights for company records.

Work Activities

• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Getting Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

• Ground Transportation

Related Careers

Related occupations to crane and tower operators include:

• Construction Laborers
• Pile Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Structural Iron and Steel Workers
• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
• Continuous Mining Machine Operators

Also Known As

Acid Crane Operator, Boom Cat Operator, Boom Crane Operator, Boomswing Operator, Bottom Crane Operator, Bridge Crane Operator, Burial Vault Deliverer and Installer, Cantilever Crane Operator, Cathead Operator, Cell Tower Technician (Cell Tower Tech), Certified Crane Operator, Charging Crane Operator, Cherry Picker Operator, Cinder Dump Crane Operator, Cinder Pit Crane Operator.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-7021.00