SOC 53-7021 · Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro

Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Brownsville, TX

The average salary for crane and tower operators in Brownsville, Texas is $52,880 a year ($25.42 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $54,060: half of the 30 people in this job in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 29% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($74,612).

$52,880average per year

$25.42 / hourMedian $54,060Take-home ≈ $44,669

  • $31K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $65K75th
  • $76K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

30people in this job
-29%vs U.S. metro average
#16 of 17Texas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Brownsville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $75,930 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Brownsville earn between $39,080 and $64,570.

  • $31K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $65K75th
  • $76K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,880$4,407$25.42
Median$54,060$4,505$25.99
Entry level (25th percentile)$39,080$3,257$18.79
Experienced (75th percentile)$64,570$5,381$31.04

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

Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Brownsville

On the average salary of $52,880, a single filer in Brownsville takes home about $44,669 a year, or $3,722 a month and $1,718 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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

Prices in the Brownsville area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.0), so the average $52,880 buys what about $61,506 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Brownsville ($36,490). A typical home costs $207,150, or 3.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,880 is worth in another city

Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Texas cities

Brownsville ranks 16th of 17 Texas metro areas for this job; Midland pays the most ($78,410).

All Crane and Tower Operators salaries in Texas

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 Brownsville: questions

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

$25.42 an hour on average, and $25.99 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,080, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $44,669 a year ($3,722 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,880. Texas has no state income tax.

Do crane and tower operators earn more in Brownsville than elsewhere?

The average here is 29% 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX (15180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.7%.
  • 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 0.80, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.80).

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