SOC 53-7021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Crane and Tower Operators — Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN-GA · 4 metro areas compared
The median wage for Crane and Tower Operators in Chattanooga, TN is $45,280 per year, substantially below the national median of $68,080 — a gap of 33.5%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.0%
- Openings per year
- 3,800
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Chattanooga, TN-GA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Crane and Tower Operators in Chattanooga, TN is $45,280 per year, substantially below the national median of $68,080 — a gap of 33.5%. Pay ranges from under $38,740 at the tenth percentile to more than $77,940 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $42,600 to $67,850.
Employment stands at 60, or 0.2 jobs per thousand held locally. Nashville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $76,750. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 304th of 466 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,740 | −43.1% |
| 25th | $42,600 | −37.4% |
| Median (50th) | $45,280 | −33.5% |
| 75th | $67,850 | −0.3% |
| 90th | $77,940 | +14.5% |
| Mean | $54,140 | −20.5% |
Other metro areas in Tennessee
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Chattanooga run 8.5% below the national average, so the median of $45,280 goes as far as $49,486 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 27.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$45,280as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$49,486US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $45,280 a year, 33.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $38,740 to $77,940 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 60 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Nashville, at $76,750.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Crane and Tower Operators in Chattanooga, TN?
The median annual wage is $45,280, or $21.77 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $68,080, so pay in Chattanooga, TN is 33.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Chattanooga, TN earns more than $77,940 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $38,740 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Nashville, at $76,750 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 60 jobs in this occupation in Chattanooga, TN. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data