Crane and Tower Operators pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,550 a year or less, while the top 10% make $154,510 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in San Francisco earn between $72,900 and $138,370.
- $51K10th
- $73K25th
- $98KMedian
- $138K75th
- $155K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $104,910 | $8,742 | $50.44 |
| Median | $98,410 | $8,201 | $47.31 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $72,900 | $6,075 | $35.05 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $138,370 | $11,531 | $66.52 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $104,910, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $76,970 a year, or $6,414 a month and $2,960 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% 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.
Is San Francisco a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $104,910 buys what about $90,742 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 11.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 1st of 10 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- San Francisco$104,910
- Los Angeles$94,960
- Fresno$91,850
- Vallejo$84,000
- Stockton$83,410
- San Diego$82,580
- Bakersfield$76,190
- Oxnard$75,900
- Riverside$73,680
- Sacramento$69,400
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 San Francisco: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in San Francisco?
$50.44 an hour on average, and $47.31 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,550 a year and the 25th percentile is $72,900, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $76,970 a year ($6,414 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $104,910. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 41% more 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 9.1%.
- 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.36, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.36).
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