Salary guide, May 2025

Overhead Crane Operator & Rigger pay in Winston-Salem, NC

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The median annual wage for Crane and Tower Operators in Winston-Salem, NC was $67,280 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $49,720 and $79,620.

The Winston-Salem, NC median is $800 below the national median of $68,080, both from BLS May 2025.

Direct match · SOC 53-7021 Crane and Tower Operators

The Overhead Crane Operator & Rigger title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries.

What should you know about winston-Salem, NC?

Crane and Tower Operators in Winston-Salem, NC: median $67,280; published 25th to 75th percentile $49,720 to $79,620.

Annual wage percentiles, Winston-Salem, NC
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$44,120	$49,720	$67,280	$79,620	$81,360

Crane and Tower Operators in Winston-Salem, NC: median $32.35; published 25th to 75th percentile $23.90 to $38.28.

Hourly wage percentiles, Winston-Salem, NC
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$21.21	$23.90	$32.35	$38.28	$39.11

BLS estimated 100 workers employed in this occupation in Winston-Salem, NC. Location quotient: 1.3.

What should you know about united States?

Crane and Tower Operators in U.S.: median $68,080; published 25th to 75th percentile $52,600 to $83,200.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$42,640	$52,600	$68,080	$83,200	$103,570

Crane and Tower Operators in U.S.: median $32.73; published 25th to 75th percentile $25.29 to $40.00.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$20.50	$25.29	$32.73	$40.00	$49.79

What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?

The published Overhead Crane Operator & Rigger median is $67,280. The all-occupations median in Winston-Salem, NC is $46,380. Ratio: 1.45 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 1.3 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.

What should you know about two BLS releases?

Overhead Crane Operator & Rigger in Winston-Salem, NC, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$50,580	$64,100	$77,670
May 2025	$49,720	$67,280	$79,620

These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 53-7021 Crane and Tower Operators, Winston-Salem, NC. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 53-7021 Crane and Tower Operators, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

What should you know about nearby areas?

Nearby areas, Overhead Crane Operator & Rigger
Area	Median	25th to 75th
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$64,730	$56,820 to $76,080
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$63,300	$53,840 to $77,320

All roles in Winston-Salem, NC · National page · Overhead Crane Operator & Rigger ranked across metros