Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

53-7021 Crane and Tower Operators

Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions. Excludes "Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators" (53-7032).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
41,070 2.6 % $24.06 $50,040 1.1 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.79 $17.07 $22.34 $29.36 $37.91
Annual Wage (2) $28,680 $35,510 $46,460 $61,060 $78,850


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 6,480 1.21 $28.39 $59,040
Support Activities for Water Transportation 3,790 4.20 $28.20 $58,660
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 3,050 3.46 $21.97 $45,710
Support Activities for Mining 2,850 0.89 $22.60 $47,010
Nonresidential Building Construction 1,980 0.30 $25.51 $53,070

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Water Transportation 3,790 4.20 $28.20 $58,660
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 3,050 3.46 $21.97 $45,710
Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel 960 1.74 $21.87 $45,490
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 370 1.61 $22.43 $46,660
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing 870 1.59 $21.92 $45,590

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 80 0.08 $32.26 $67,100
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 390 0.08 $28.74 $59,790
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing 980 0.85 $28.59 $59,470
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 640 0.03 $28.40 $59,080
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 6,480 1.21 $28.39 $59,040


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 5,100 0.49 1.55 $22.51 $46,830
Louisiana 3,060 1.67 5.20 $20.72 $43,090
California 2,540 0.18 0.57 $32.46 $67,520
Florida 2,520 0.35 1.10 $20.47 $42,580
Pennsylvania 2,100 0.38 1.18 $25.98 $54,040




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 3,060 1.67 5.20 $20.72 $43,090
West Virginia 620 0.89 2.79 $17.09 $35,550
Mississippi 780 0.73 2.28 $18.47 $38,430
Indiana 1,980 0.72 2.24 $27.00 $56,160
Arkansas 800 0.70 2.19 $16.03 $33,330




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 70 0.23 0.72 $37.40 $77,800
Washington 1,790 0.66 2.06 $35.23 $73,270
Nevada 270 0.24 0.76 $34.37 $71,490
Hawaii 150 0.26 0.83 $32.88 $68,390
California 2,540 0.18 0.57 $32.46 $67,520





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 3,050 1.20 3.73 $23.39 $48,660
Gary, IN Metropolitan Division 960 3.71 11.59 $32.63 $67,860
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 930 0.68 2.11 $37.81 $78,650
Lafayette, LA 860 5.96 18.63 $19.19 $39,910
Jacksonville, FL 830 1.45 4.53 $20.34 $42,320
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 620 0.17 0.54 $30.63 $63,720
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC 560 1.96 6.11 $27.81 $57,840
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 540 0.76 2.37 $23.74 $49,380
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 540 0.30 0.93 $30.04 $62,480
Pittsburgh, PA 530 0.48 1.50 $30.66 $63,780




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lafayette, LA 860 5.96 18.63 $19.19 $39,910
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 440 4.89 15.29 $22.09 $45,950
Gary, IN Metropolitan Division 960 3.71 11.59 $32.63 $67,860
Texarkana-Texarkana, TX-AR 180 3.28 10.24 $11.29 $23,490
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 310 2.89 9.01 $18.29 $38,050
Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV 120 2.83 8.85 $19.77 $41,120
Mansfield, OH 120 2.31 7.21 $20.28 $42,180
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC 560 1.96 6.11 $27.81 $57,840
Bellingham, WA 130 1.80 5.64 $32.98 $68,590
Lake Charles, LA 140 1.64 5.12 $21.34 $44,390




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 90 0.33 1.02 $40.10 $83,410
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 350 0.07 0.22 $38.73 $80,560
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 930 0.68 2.11 $37.81 $78,650
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 50 0.04 0.12 $36.11 $75,110
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $35.96 $74,800
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 270 1.07 3.33 $35.32 $73,460
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $34.49 $71,730
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA (8) (8) (8) $34.43 $71,610
Honolulu, HI 130 0.30 0.94 $33.43 $69,530
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 120 0.09 0.30 $33.28 $69,230

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Iberia nonmetropolitan area 450 3.39 10.59 $20.92 $43,520
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 210 1.00 3.12 $18.44 $38,360
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 190 1.77 5.51 $22.25 $46,290
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 190 0.97 3.02 $16.40 $34,100
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 190 0.87 2.71 $22.33 $46,440

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Iberia nonmetropolitan area 450 3.39 10.59 $20.92 $43,520
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 190 1.77 5.51 $22.25 $46,290
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 170 1.70 5.30 $16.38 $34,070
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area 100 1.38 4.29 $20.37 $42,380
North Central West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 140 1.03 3.21 $17.12 $35,600

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.61 1.90 $36.49 $75,890
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 40 0.28 0.89 $34.58 $71,920
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 30 0.23 0.72 $28.59 $59,460
Northeastern Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.47 1.48 $28.26 $58,790
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 50 0.30 0.95 $26.07 $54,220


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012