SOC 53-7021 · Rocky Mount, NC metro

Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Rocky Mount, NC

The average salary for crane and tower operators in Rocky Mount, North Carolina is $72,270 a year ($34.74 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $73,420: half of the 30 people in this job in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($72,130).

$72,270average per year

$34.74 / hourMedian $73,420Take-home ≈ $57,297

  • $59K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $73KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $94K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

30people in this job
+0%vs U.S. average
#2 of 7North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Rocky Mount

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $94,120 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Rocky Mount earn between $65,200 and $78,400.

  • $59K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $73KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $94K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$72,270$6,022$34.75
Median$73,420$6,118$35.30
Entry level (25th percentile)$65,200$5,433$31.35
Experienced (75th percentile)$78,400$6,533$37.69

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Crane and Tower Operators pay in Rocky Mount vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Crane and tower operators in Rocky Mount earn 10% more than the North Carolina average ($65,620) and about the same as the U.S. average ($72,130). At the median the gap is +8% against the U.S. median of $68,080.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Rocky Mount$72,270$73,420$58,590$94,12030
North Carolina$65,620$64,480$46,530$82,7301,050
United States$72,130$68,080$42,640$103,57042,890

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Rocky Mount

On the average salary of $72,270, a single filer in Rocky Mount takes home about $57,297 a year, or $4,775 a month and $2,204 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Rocky Mount a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Rocky Mount area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.0), so the average $72,270 buys what about $82,114 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Rocky Mount ($43,960). A typical home costs $201,686, or 2.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $72,270 is worth in another city

Crane and Tower Operators salary in other North Carolina cities

Rocky Mount ranks 2nd of 7 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Raleigh pays the most ($72,700).

All Crane and Tower Operators salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for crane and tower operators

Honolulu, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,530).

Crane and Tower Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Crane and Tower Operators in Rocky Mount, NC.

Crane and Tower Operators salary in Rocky Mount: questions

How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Rocky Mount?

$34.74 an hour on average, and $35.30 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Rocky Mount?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $65,200, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Rocky Mount?

About $57,297 a year ($4,775 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $72,270.

Do crane and tower operators earn more in Rocky Mount than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($72,130).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-7021; area Rocky Mount, NC (40580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.00, this job is 2.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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