Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Buffalo
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $306,610 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Buffalo earn between $54,840 and $114,150.
- $50K10th
- $55K25th
- $75KMedian
- $114K75th
- $307K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $109,610 | $9,134 | $52.70 |
| Median | $74,700 | $6,225 | $35.91 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $54,840 | $4,570 | $26.37 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $114,150 | $9,512 | $54.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Buffalo
On the average salary of $109,610, a single filer in Buffalo takes home about $80,412 a year, or $6,701 a month and $3,093 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Is Buffalo a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Buffalo area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.8), so the average $109,610 buys what about $114,363 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Buffalo ($50,790). A typical home costs $288,316, or 2.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other New York cities
Buffalo ranks 2nd of 3 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($116,710).
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 Buffalo: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Buffalo?
$52.70 an hour on average, and $35.91 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Buffalo?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $54,840, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Buffalo?
About $80,412 a year ($6,701 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $109,610. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Buffalo than elsewhere?
The average here is 47% 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (15380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 21.2%.
- 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). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.39, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.39).
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