SOC 53-7021 · Las Cruces, NM metro

Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Las Cruces, NM

The average salary for crane and tower operators in Las Cruces, New Mexico is $73,450 a year ($35.31 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $81,830: half of the 50 people in this job in the Las Cruces, NM metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($74,612).

$73,450average per year

$35.31 / hourMedian $81,830Take-home ≈ $58,216

  • $45K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $99K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

50people in this job
-2%vs U.S. metro average
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Las Cruces

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,800 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,020 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Las Cruces earn between $51,670 and $99,020.

  • $45K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $99K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$73,450$6,121$35.31
Median$81,830$6,819$39.34
Entry level (25th percentile)$51,670$4,306$24.84
Experienced (75th percentile)$99,020$8,252$47.61

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

Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Las Cruces

On the average salary of $73,450, a single filer in Las Cruces takes home about $58,216 a year, or $4,851 a month and $2,239 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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

Prices in the Las Cruces area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.2), so the average $73,450 buys what about $81,419 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Las Cruces ($42,070). A typical home costs $288,339, or 3.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $73,450 is worth in another city

Crane and Tower Operators salary in nearby metro areas

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 Las Cruces: questions

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

$35.31 an hour on average, and $39.34 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,800 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,670, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $58,216 a year ($4,851 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,450.

Do crane and tower operators earn more in Las Cruces 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 Las Cruces, NM (29740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.30, this job is 2.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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