Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Portland
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $95,090 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Portland earn between $65,690 and $79,820.
- $60K10th
- $66K25th
- $75KMedian
- $80K75th
- $95K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $74,520 | $6,210 | $35.83 |
| Median | $74,650 | $6,221 | $35.89 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $65,690 | $5,474 | $31.58 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $79,820 | $6,652 | $38.38 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Portland
On the average salary of $74,520, a single filer in Portland takes home about $57,903 a year, or $4,825 a month and $2,227 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Maine's standard deduction phase-out above $102,250 of income is not modelled.
Is Portland a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Portland area are 2% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.9), so the average $74,520 buys what about $73,161 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Portland ($56,960). A typical home costs $542,063, or 7.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Maine cities
Portland ranks 1st of 3 Maine metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
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 Portland: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Portland?
$35.83 an hour on average, and $35.89 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Portland?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $65,690, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Portland?
About $57,903 a year ($4,825 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,520. Maine's standard deduction phase-out above $102,250 of income is not modelled.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Portland than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Portland-South Portland, ME (38860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- 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). Maine's standard deduction phase-out above $102,250 of income is not modelled.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.15, this job is 2.1 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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