Your work. Your records.
Crane and Tower Operator Workplace Records
Crane operators may inspect equipment, assess the assigned work area, and coordinate with helpers before operating. For an employment concern, distinguish these stages and identify your own responsibilities without attempting to reconstruct technical lifting procedures.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Workday stages
List required preparation, waiting, operation, and wrap-up periods for the dates involved.
Reassignment details
Record changes to crane, site, or crew and the supervisor who communicated them.
Report sequence
Describe the observation and management response without recreating a lifting plan.
Start with the work you actually do
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Crane and Tower Operators (53-7021.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.Source task 10768 · updated 08/2026
- Inspect crane site conditions to determine ground stability.Source task 24062 · updated 08/2026
- Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.Source task 10771 · updated 08/2026
- Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.Source task 10772 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Crane and Tower Operators (SOC 53-7021). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $21.52 | $29.22 | $35.65 | $60,790 |
| Alaska | $39.39 | $44.47 | $46.51 | $92,490 |
| Arizona | $28.10 | $32.38 | $38.25 | $67,350 |
| Arkansas | $17.79 | $20.00 | $22.14 | $41,600 |
| Connecticut | $26.55 | $39.12 | $46.99 | $81,360 |
| Delaware | $28.18 | $28.92 | $29.21 | $60,160 |
| Florida | $28.34 | $34.40 | $39.00 | $71,560 |
| Georgia | $23.53 | $29.83 | $36.22 | $62,050 |
| Hawaii | $56.80 | $59.74 | $61.45 | $124,260 |
| Idaho | $23.67 | $25.37 | $37.66 | $52,770 |
| Indiana | $19.45 | $25.46 | $31.76 | $52,950 |
| Iowa | $26.88 | $32.50 | $39.00 | $67,600 |
| Kansas | $28.56 | $37.07 | $41.78 | $77,100 |
| Kentucky | $22.03 | $29.81 | $38.48 | $62,000 |
| Louisiana | $25.05 | $29.41 | $36.51 | $61,170 |
| Maine | $23.66 | $31.58 | $37.24 | $65,690 |
| Michigan | $23.79 | $28.72 | $42.65 | $59,740 |
| Minnesota | $27.98 | $38.91 | $55.04 | $80,930 |
| Mississippi | $19.36 | $29.45 | $31.18 | $61,260 |
| Missouri | $19.81 | $28.10 | $39.30 | $58,450 |
| Montana | $35.66 | $39.81 | $46.08 | $82,800 |
| Nebraska | $22.58 | $29.19 | $37.26 | $60,720 |
| New Hampshire | $25.37 | $30.44 | $36.14 | $63,310 |
| New Mexico | $29.63 | $30.00 | $32.35 | $62,400 |
| New York | $33.71 | $41.27 | $60.60 | $85,850 |
| North Carolina | $26.48 | $31.00 | $37.34 | $64,480 |
| North Dakota | $34.08 | $39.85 | $43.23 | $82,890 |
| Ohio | $22.50 | $27.70 | $36.15 | $57,620 |
| Oklahoma | $26.00 | $30.57 | $37.58 | $63,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $25.85 | $31.34 | $36.09 | $65,190 |
| Rhode Island | $36.83 | $50.16 | $61.16 | $104,340 |
| South Dakota | $29.37 | $34.13 | $37.24 | $71,000 |
| Tennessee | $22.07 | $28.56 | $37.94 | $59,410 |
| Texas | $27.41 | $35.23 | $38.40 | $73,280 |
| Utah | $24.20 | $32.41 | $38.45 | $67,410 |
| Vermont | $31.28 | $34.98 | $37.56 | $72,760 |
| Virginia | $26.33 | $32.02 | $37.32 | $66,600 |
| West Virginia | $19.09 | $26.36 | $28.76 | $54,830 |
| Wisconsin | $25.74 | $32.56 | $40.92 | $67,720 |
| Wyoming | $33.94 | $37.49 | $44.17 | $77,970 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Record preparation as well as operation
Describe the assignment, site arrival, required checks, waiting periods, and operating period separately. If your schedule changed, note when you received the instruction and who issued it. Use existing personal time records instead of inferring your entire workday from a completed lift.
Explain crew and equipment changes
Note a reassignment to another crane, site, or crew and the training or direction provided. Where an equipment or ground condition affected the work, describe what you observed and reported. Avoid drawing conclusions about technical safety from a personal employment chronology.
Keep operational records in approved channels
Do not create personal copies of lift plans, site security details, or customer project files. Identify where inspection and assignment records are stored. Preserve your own pay statements, training notices, and permitted scheduling messages separately from operational documentation.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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