SOC 53-7021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Crane and Tower Operators — Maryland
Maryland · 1 metro areas compared
At $87,950 a year, the median wage for Crane and Tower Operators in Maryland sits 29.2% above the national figure of $68,080.
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 Maryland.
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
At $87,950 a year, the median wage for Crane and Tower Operators in Maryland sits 29.2% above the national figure of $68,080. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $73,240 and $87,950. The lowest tenth earn under $61,450, while the highest tenth earn more than $94,700.
Maryland ranks number 8th out of 50 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Baltimore records the highest median at $87,950. Of the 728 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 216th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $61,450 | −9.7% |
| 25th | $73,240 | +7.6% |
| Median (50th) | $87,950 | +29.2% |
| 75th | $87,950 | +29.2% |
| 90th | $94,700 | +39.1% |
| Mean | $82,070 | +20.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Maryland
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | $87,950 | 410 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Maryland run 5.0% above the national average, so the median of $87,950 buys what $83,762 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 23.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$87,950as reported by BLSLocal price level
105.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$83,762US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $87,950 a year, 29.2% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $61,450 to $94,700 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 8th of 50 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Baltimore, at $87,950.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Crane and Tower Operators in Maryland?
The median annual wage is $87,950, or $42.28 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 Maryland is 29.2% higher. 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 Maryland earns more than $94,700 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $61,450 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 Baltimore, at $87,950 per year.
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.
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