Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Austin
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,750 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,560 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Austin earn between $61,370 and $88,900.
- $48K10th
- $61K25th
- $75KMedian
- $89K75th
- $100K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $74,370 | $6,198 | $35.75 |
| Median | $75,360 | $6,280 | $36.23 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $61,370 | $5,114 | $29.50 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $88,900 | $7,408 | $42.74 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Austin
On the average salary of $74,370, a single filer in Austin takes home about $61,149 a year, or $5,096 a month and $2,352 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Austin a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Austin area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.1), so the average $74,370 buys what about $75,837 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Austin ($56,950). A typical home costs $428,524, or 5.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Texas cities
Austin ranks 2nd of 17 Texas metro areas for this job; Midland pays the most ($78,410).
- Midland$78,410
- Austin$74,370
- Odessa$74,020
- Corpus Christi$71,520
- Houston$70,810
- Dallas$69,630
- Beaumont$68,190
- Killeen$68,080
- San Antonio$67,520
- College Station$63,980
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 Austin: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Austin?
$35.76 an hour on average, and $36.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Austin?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,750 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,370, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Austin?
About $61,149 a year ($5,096 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,370. Texas has no state income tax.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Austin 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX (12420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.64, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.64).
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