Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Seattle
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $135,210 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Seattle earn between $80,000 and $124,520.
- $63K10th
- $80K25th
- $114KMedian
- $125K75th
- $135K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $105,010 | $8,751 | $50.49 |
| Median | $114,330 | $9,528 | $54.97 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38.46 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $124,520 | $10,377 | $59.87 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Seattle
On the average salary of $105,010, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $82,705 a year, or $6,892 a month and $3,181 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Seattle a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $105,010 buys what about $94,490 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Washington cities
Seattle ranks 3rd of 5 Washington metro areas for this job; Kennewick pays the most ($111,710).
- Kennewick$111,710
- Mount Vernon$108,550
- Seattle$105,010
- Bremerton$97,700
- Spokane$88,480
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 Seattle: questions
How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Seattle?
$50.49 an hour on average, and $54.96 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Seattle?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $80,000, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Seattle?
About $82,705 a year ($6,892 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $105,010. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do crane and tower operators earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?
The average here is 41% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.6%.
- 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 no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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