Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Fort Smith
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $64,100 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Fort Smith earn between $40,230 and $64,100.
- $39K10th
- $40K25th
- $44KMedian
- $64K75th
- $64K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $49,450 | $4,121 | $23.77 |
| Median | $44,330 | $3,694 | $21.31 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $40,230 | $3,352 | $19.34 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $64,100 | $5,342 | $30.82 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Fort Smith
On the average salary of $49,450, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $40,571 a year, or $3,381 a month and $1,560 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in AR | $40,571 | $3,381 |
| Working in OK | $40,233 | $3,353 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
Is Fort Smith a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Fort Smith area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $49,450 buys what about $57,575 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Arkansas cities
Fort Smith ranks 2nd of 3 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Fayetteville pays the most ($52,930).
- Fayetteville$52,930
- Fort Smith$49,450
- Little Rock$44,850
Highest-paying cities for crane and tower operators
Honolulu, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,530).
- Honolulu, HI$118,530
- New York, NY$116,710
- Las Vegas, NV$115,300
- Kennewick, WA$111,710
- Buffalo, NY$109,610
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Crane and Tower Operators salary in Fort Smith: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Fort Smith?
$23.78 an hour on average, and $21.31 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Fort Smith?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,230, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Fort Smith?
About $40,571 a year ($3,381 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,450. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?
The average here is 34% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($74,612).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-7021; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
- Job concentration: location quotient 3.33, this job is 3.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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