Crane and Tower Operators salary · Illinois
Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Illinois
Crane and Tower Operators in Illinois earn a median of $61,820 a year, which is $29.72 an hour. That is $6,260 below the national median of $68,080, a difference of 9 percent. The state employs 1,220.
Illinois against the US May 2025
| Figure | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $61,820 | $68,080 |
| Median hourly | $29.72 | $32.73 |
| Mean annual | $71,380 | $72,130 |
| 10th percentile | $41,470 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile | $131,280 | $103,570 |
| Employment | 1,220 | 42,890 |
How Illinois compares
By median pay, Illinois ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for crane and tower operators. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for crane and tower operators May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $85,850 | $41.27 | 1,150 |
| California | $79,570 | $38.25 | 2,130 |
| Texas | $73,280 | $35.23 | 6,010 |
| Florida | $71,560 | $34.40 | 2,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,190 | $31.34 | 1,630 |
| Georgia | $62,050 | $29.83 | 1,370 |
| Louisiana | $61,170 | $29.41 | 1,930 |
| Alabama | $60,790 | $29.22 | 1,280 |
| Michigan | $59,740 | $28.72 | 1,310 |
| Ohio | $57,620 | $27.70 | 1,780 |
| Indiana | $52,950 | $25.46 | 2,300 |
Common questions
How much do crane and tower operators make in Illinois?
The median salary for crane and tower operators in Illinois is $61,820 a year, or $29.72 an hour. That is $6,260 below the national median of $68,080, a difference of 9 percent. Illinois employs 1,220 of them.
Is Illinois a good state to work as a crane and tower operator?
On pay alone, Illinois ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for crane and tower operators in Illinois?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $41,470 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $131,280 or more. The middle half falls between $46,170 and $83,030.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 53-7021 in Illinois. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national crane and tower operators salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.