Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Virginia Beach
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,430 a year or less, while the top 10% make $87,400 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Virginia Beach earn between $66,600 and $77,630.
- $53K10th
- $67K25th
- $71KMedian
- $78K75th
- $87K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $71,430 | $5,952 | $34.34 |
| Median | $71,400 | $5,950 | $34.33 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $66,600 | $5,550 | $32.02 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $77,630 | $6,469 | $37.32 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Virginia Beach
On the average salary of $71,430, a single filer in Virginia Beach takes home about $55,788 a year, or $4,649 a month and $2,146 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NC | $56,740 | $4,728 |
| Working in VA | $55,788 | $4,649 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Virginia Beach a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Virginia Beach area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $71,430 buys what about $72,932 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Virginia Beach ($49,430). A typical home costs $373,678, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Virginia cities
Virginia Beach ranks 1st of 4 Virginia metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Virginia Beach$71,430
- Winchester$66,620
- Richmond$61,080
- Roanoke$57,380
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 Virginia Beach: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Virginia Beach?
$34.34 an hour on average, and $34.33 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Virginia Beach?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,430 a year and the 25th percentile is $66,600, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Virginia Beach?
About $55,788 a year ($4,649 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $71,430.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Virginia Beach than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (47260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.05, this job is 2.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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