Crane and Tower Operators in the Rockford Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Crane and Tower Operators pay in Rockford, IL at a median of $49,400 per year ($23.75/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $68,080, the metro estimate is 27% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 40 crane and tower operators are employed across the Rockford MSA in SOC 53-7021.

The Rockford pay distribution spans from $38,090 at the 10th percentile to $77,540 at the 90th, a 2.0× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $38,570 and the 75th at $60,690, so half of Rockford-based crane and tower operators earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Rockford, IL covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide IL estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.