Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Durham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,440 a year or less, while the top 10% make $82,860 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Durham earn between $62,550 and $79,320.
- $53K10th
- $63K25th
- $74KMedian
- $79K75th
- $83K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $70,350 | $5,862 | $33.82 |
| Median | $73,710 | $6,142 | $35.44 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $62,550 | $5,212 | $30.07 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $79,320 | $6,610 | $38.13 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Durham
On the average salary of $70,350, a single filer in Durham takes home about $56,023 a year, or $4,669 a month and $2,155 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 (2026 rules).
Is Durham a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $70,350 buys what about $72,101 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 5.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other North Carolina cities
Durham ranks 3rd of 7 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Raleigh pays the most ($72,700).
- Raleigh$72,700
- Rocky Mount$72,270
- Durham$70,350
- Wilmington$69,620
- Winston-Salem$64,990
- Charlotte$64,610
- Greensboro$64,280
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 Durham: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Durham?
$33.82 an hour on average, and $35.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Durham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,440 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,550, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Durham?
About $56,023 a year ($4,669 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,350.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Durham than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.3%.
- 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 0.43, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.43).
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