GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Crane and Tower Operators
Best States to Be a Crane and Tower Operators
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a crane and tower operators salary goes furthest in Nevada — a $115,840 BLS median worth $115,864 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 160.3).
Which US states are best for a crane and tower operators after cost of living and tax?
For a crane and tower operators, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Nevada #1: a $115,840 BLS median becomes $115,864 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 160.3). Arkansas ranks last ($46,224, index 64.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Nevada ranks #1 of 50 states for a crane and tower operators. Index 100 = the average state; 160.3 means pay goes 60.3% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedCrane and Tower Operators — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $115,840 | — | 100.0 | $115,864 | 160.3 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $124,260 | $7,914 | 110.0 | $105,817 | 146.4 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $104,340 | $3,397 | 102.3 | $98,693 | 136.6 |
| 4 | Washington | $101,110 | — | 107.0 | $94,484 | 130.8 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $82,890 | $379 | 89.0 | $92,752 | 128.4 |
| 6 | Alaska | $92,490 | — | 102.4 | $90,358 | 125.0 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $100,640 | $4,221 | 108.8 | $88,616 | 122.6 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $98,150 | $4,688 | 105.8 | $88,375 | 122.3 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $77,970 | — | 92.7 | $84,118 | 116.4 |
| 10 | Montana | $82,800 | $3,747 | 94.6 | $83,526 | 115.6 |
| 11 | Kansas | $77,100 | $3,502 | 90.1 | $81,713 | 113.1 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $71,000 | — | 88.6 | $80,148 | 110.9 |
| 13 | Maryland | $87,950 | $3,845 | 105.0 | $80,131 | 110.9 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $80,930 | $4,014 | 98.6 | $77,991 | 107.9 |
| 15 | New York | $85,850 | $4,117 | 107.9 | $75,734 | 104.8 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $81,360 | $2,900 | 103.6 | $75,726 | 104.8 |
| 17 | Texas | $73,280 | — | 97.1 | $75,502 | 104.5 |
| 18 | Oregon | $83,260 | $6,481 | 103.4 | $74,282 | 102.8 |
| 19 | Iowa | $67,600 | $2,529 | 87.8 | $74,145 | 102.6 |
| 20 | Colorado | $77,120 | $2,733 | 103.1 | $72,184 | 99.9 |
| 21 | Vermont | $72,760 | $2,420 | 98.0 | $71,806 | 99.4 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $63,590 | $2,483 | 87.8 | $69,564 | 96.3 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $67,720 | $2,437 | 94.1 | $69,380 | 96.0 |
| 24 | Florida | $71,560 | — | 103.4 | $69,198 | 95.8 |
| 25 | California | $79,570 | $3,278 | 110.7 | $68,905 | 95.4 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $61,260 | $1,890 | 87.0 | $68,278 | 94.5 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $61,170 | $1,460 | 88.2 | $67,693 | 93.7 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $62,000 | $2,349 | 90.2 | $66,162 | 91.6 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $64,480 | $2,199 | 94.3 | $66,028 | 91.4 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $64,120 | $2,368 | 93.7 | $65,869 | 91.2 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $62,400 | $1,819 | 92.2 | $65,698 | 90.9 |
| 32 | Arizona | $67,350 | $1,209 | 100.7 | $65,696 | 90.9 |
| 33 | Alabama | $60,790 | $2,775 | 88.8 | $65,316 | 90.4 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $60,720 | $2,061 | 90.1 | $65,102 | 90.1 |
| 35 | Utah | $67,410 | $3,067 | 98.9 | $65,082 | 90.1 |
| 36 | Maine | $65,690 | $2,819 | 97.0 | $64,782 | 89.6 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $65,190 | $2,001 | 97.6 | $64,761 | 89.6 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $59,410 | — | 91.9 | $64,667 | 89.5 |
| 39 | Virginia | $66,600 | $3,030 | 101.1 | $62,876 | 87.0 |
| 40 | Missouri | $58,450 | $1,866 | 90.8 | $62,305 | 86.2 |
| 41 | Georgia | $62,050 | $2,698 | 96.3 | $61,637 | 85.3 |
| 42 | Ohio | $57,620 | $802 | 92.8 | $61,243 | 84.8 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $63,310 | — | 104.2 | $60,779 | 84.1 |
| 44 | Michigan | $59,740 | $2,292 | 96.2 | $59,706 | 82.6 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $54,830 | $1,735 | 89.5 | $59,326 | 82.1 |
| 46 | Illinois | $61,820 | $2,919 | 100.0 | $58,926 | 81.5 |
| 47 | Delaware | $60,160 | $2,662 | 99.8 | $57,609 | 79.7 |
| 48 | Indiana | $52,950 | $1,559 | 93.3 | $55,065 | 76.2 |
| 49 | Idaho | $52,770 | $1,885 | 95.5 | $53,286 | 73.7 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $41,600 | $1,414 | 86.9 | $46,224 | 64.0 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 50 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Nevada, a $115,840 salary is worth about $115,864 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $115,840 · BEA cost of living 100.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $130,766, a $14,901 gain over Nevada.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $130,766 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $128,049 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $127,388 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $127,360 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $126,978 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $126,962 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $126,091 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $125,608 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $124,974 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $123,896 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $123,345 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $123,196 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Crane and Tower Operators — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a crane and tower operators?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Nevada is the best state for a crane and tower operators: a BLS median of $115,840 is worth $115,864 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 100.0), an index of 160.3 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Hawaii has the highest headline BLS median for a crane and tower operators at $124,260, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #2 of 50 on real pay (index 146.4). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a crane and tower operators salary go least far?
- Arkansas ranks last of 50 states for a crane and tower operators: a $41,600 BLS median is worth only $46,224 after tax and cost of living (index 64.0). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a crane and tower operators is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.