Crane and Tower Operators in the South Bend-Mishawaka Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Crane and Tower Operators pay in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI at a median of $49,440 per year ($23.77/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 South Bend-Mishawaka MSA in SOC 53-7021.

The South Bend-Mishawaka pay distribution spans from $40,190 at the 10th percentile to $85,450 at the 90th, a 2.1× 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 $48,100 and the 75th at $53,920, so half of South Bend-Mishawaka-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 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 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 IN estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.