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Crane and Tower Operators: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 53-7021.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Crane and Tower Operators, trained hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 6,000 hours, for TRUCK CRANE OPERATOR (Alternate Title: Crane Operator) (hybrid).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| TRUCK CRANE OPERATOR (Alternate Title: Crane Operator) | 0014 | Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What crane and tower operators earn, by state
Hawaii has the highest state median for crane and tower operators ($124,260) and Arkansas the lowest ($41,600), across the 51 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $124,260 | $59.74 | 190 |
| Nevada | $115,840 | $55.69 | 380 |
| Rhode Island | $104,340 | $50.16 | Not published |
| Washington | $101,110 | $48.61 | 1,030 |
| New Jersey | $100,640 | $48.39 | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $98,150 | $47.19 | 680 |
| Alaska | $92,490 | $44.47 | 50 |
| Maryland | $87,950 | $42.28 | Not published |
| New York | $85,850 | $41.27 | 1,150 |
| Oregon | $83,260 | $40.03 | 340 |
| North Dakota | $82,890 | $39.85 | 180 |
| Montana | $82,800 | $39.81 | 30 |
| Connecticut | $81,360 | $39.12 | 220 |
| Minnesota | $80,930 | $38.91 | 370 |
| California | $79,570 | $38.25 | 2,130 |
| Wyoming | $77,970 | $37.49 | 230 |
| Colorado | $77,120 | $37.08 | 470 |
| Kansas | $77,100 | $37.07 | 780 |
| Texas | $73,280 | $35.23 | 6,010 |
| Vermont | $72,760 | $34.98 | 170 |
| Florida | $71,560 | $34.40 | 2,570 |
| South Dakota | $71,000 | $34.13 | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $67,720 | $32.56 | 440 |
| Iowa | $67,600 | $32.50 | 650 |
| Utah | $67,410 | $32.41 | 440 |
| Arizona | $67,350 | $32.38 | 930 |
| Virginia | $66,600 | $32.02 | 1,120 |
| Maine | $65,690 | $31.58 | 360 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,190 | $31.34 | 1,630 |
| North Carolina | $64,480 | $31.00 | 1,050 |
| South Carolina | $64,120 | $30.83 | 720 |
| Oklahoma | $63,590 | $30.57 | 620 |
| New Hampshire | $63,310 | $30.44 | 170 |
| New Mexico | $62,400 | $30.00 | 290 |
| Georgia | $62,050 | $29.83 | 1,370 |
| Kentucky | $62,000 | $29.81 | 640 |
| Illinois | $61,820 | $29.72 | 1,220 |
| Mississippi | $61,260 | $29.45 | 550 |
| Louisiana | $61,170 | $29.41 | 1,930 |
| Alabama | $60,790 | $29.22 | 1,280 |
| Nebraska | $60,720 | $29.19 | 410 |
| Delaware | $60,160 | $28.92 | 220 |
| Michigan | $59,740 | $28.72 | 1,310 |
| Tennessee | $59,410 | $28.56 | 660 |
| Missouri | $58,450 | $28.10 | 630 |
| Guam | $58,140 | $27.95 | 50 |
| Ohio | $57,620 | $27.70 | 1,780 |
| West Virginia | $54,830 | $26.36 | 170 |
| Indiana | $52,950 | $25.46 | 2,300 |
| Idaho | $52,770 | $25.37 | Not published |
| Arkansas | $41,600 | $20.00 | 880 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).