SOC 53-7021 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro

Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Sacramento, CA

The average salary for crane and tower operators in Sacramento, California is $69,400 a year ($33.37 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $64,500: half of the 170 people in this job in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($74,612).

$69,400average per year

$33.37 / hourMedian $64,500Take-home ≈ $55,173

  • $45K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $96K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

170people in this job
-7%vs U.S. metro average
#10 of 10California metros
107cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Sacramento

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $96,460 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Sacramento earn between $47,960 and $79,610.

  • $45K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $96K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$69,400$5,783$33.37
Median$64,500$5,375$31.01
Entry level (25th percentile)$47,960$3,997$23.06
Experienced (75th percentile)$79,610$6,634$38.27

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Sacramento

On the average salary of $69,400, a single filer in Sacramento takes home about $55,173 a year, or $4,598 a month and $2,122 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Sacramento a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Sacramento area are 7% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.7), so the average $69,400 buys what about $65,060 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Sacramento ($59,750). A typical home costs $582,707, or 8.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $69,400 is worth in another city

Crane and Tower Operators salary in other California cities

Sacramento ranks 10th of 10 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($104,910).

All Crane and Tower Operators salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for crane and tower operators

Honolulu, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,530).

Crane and Tower Operators salary by city

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Crane and Tower Operators salary in Sacramento: questions

How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Sacramento?

$33.37 an hour on average, and $31.01 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Sacramento?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,960, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Sacramento?

About $55,173 a year ($4,598 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $69,400. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do crane and tower operators earn more in Sacramento than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA (40900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.6%.
  • 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.58, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.58).

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