The light from your computer screen is a bit strange. And it's not just because of the websites you visit. If you have a computer with a flat screen liquid crystal display, turn it on. Open your word processor to display the writer's block screen (pure white).
Crane operators employed primarily in nonresidential building construction made somewhat less, an average of $53,070 a year. Those who worked in mining averaged $47,010 per year, and those employed by iron and steel mills made an average of $45,710 per year.
Average and Median Earnings. As of May 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that about 41,070 crane and tower operators were employed in the United States. These workers earned an average wage of $24.06 an hour and $50,040 a year. The middle-earning 50 percent of crane operators reported wages of between $17.07 and $29.36 an hour, with annual salaries ranging from $35,510 to $61,060 per year.