Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Portland
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $56,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $132,770 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Portland earn between $67,560 and $120,260.
- $57K10th
- $68K25th
- $80KMedian
- $120K75th
- $133K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $90,530 | $7,544 | $43.52 |
| Median | $80,260 | $6,688 | $38.59 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $67,560 | $5,630 | $32.48 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $120,260 | $10,022 | $57.82 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Portland
On the average salary of $90,530, a single filer in Portland takes home about $65,898 a year, or $5,491 a month and $2,535 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in WA | $72,518 | $6,043 |
| Working in OR | $65,898 | $5,491 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Is Portland a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Portland area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.4), so the average $90,530 buys what about $85,875 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Portland ($60,690). A typical home costs $552,022, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Oregon cities
Portland ranks 1st of 2 Oregon metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Portland$90,530
- Eugene$76,010
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?
$43.52 an hour on average, and $38.59 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Portland?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $56,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $67,560, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Portland?
About $65,898 a year ($5,491 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $90,530. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Portland than elsewhere?
The average here is 21% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.9%.
- 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). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.62, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.62).
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