--- title: "Crane Operator Programs in Illinois: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/illinois/ description: "Crane Operator pay in Illinois: BLS average $71,380 (all experience levels), median $61,820, bottom 10% $41,470. 1 listed programs." updated: 2026-11-03 wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15" --- 1. [Home](https://highpayingtrades.com/) 2. [Trades](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/) 3. [Crane Operator](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/) 4. Illinois Illinois # Crane Operator programs in *Illinois* 1 listed crane operator program in Illinois, plus BLS pay data for the state and 5 metro areas. - **$71,380** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$41,470** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$61,820** Median pay (state) - **$131,280** Top 10% earn over 1,220 jobs in Illinois · 1 listed programs. Average = BLS mean across all experience levels, not starting pay. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Cities with listed programs - [Morton Grove 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/illinois/morton-grove/) BLS wage data ## Crane Operator pay in Illinois Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Illinois | $41,470 | $46,170 | $61,820 | $83,030 | $131,280 | $71,380 | 1,220 | | United States | $42,640 | $52,600 | $68,080 | $83,200 | $103,570 | $72,130 | 42,890 | Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. ### Metro areas | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $38,990 | $49,280 | $69,270 | $74,110 | $119,090 | $68,170 | 110 | | Paducah, KY-IL | $45,740 | $60,150 | $63,070 | $64,600 | $83,450 | $63,830 | 30 | | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $40,290 | $41,460 | $55,890 | $67,440 | $107,760 | $62,560 | 1,880 | | Rockford, IL | $38,090 | $38,570 | $49,400 | $60,690 | $77,540 | $51,430 | 40 | | St. Louis, MO-IL | $40,970 | $41,210 | $46,170 | $88,400 | $95,620 | $63,230 | 320 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Illinois Every crane operator program we matched in Illinois. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | John Crane Inc. | Morton Grove, IL | Registered apprenticeship sponsor | n/a | Contact program | DOL Office of Apprenticeship | Schools: NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code; “Graduates 2023-24” is the number of first-major certificates or associate degrees the school awarded in that program from July 2023 to June 2024 (IPEDS). Tuition: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (updated 2026-10-15), matched by IPEDS unit ID; it is the published figure, not a quote. Apprenticeship sponsors: DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file (retrieved 2026-10-29); apprenticeships are typically paid, so no tuition is listed — contact the program. ### Browse by city - [Morton Grove 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/illinois/morton-grove/) Related resources ## Keep researching [**GI Bill heavy equipment operator schools** Schools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com](https://veterantradeschools.com/heavy-equipment-operator/) [**CDL schools, if your crane job involves driving** Truck-mounted crane work on public roads can require a CDL; check the employer. · VerifiedCDLSchools.com](https://verifiedcdlschools.com/) [**Registered apprenticeships in Illinois** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/il/) ## Sources - **Wages:** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 ([news release USDL-26-0725](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm); [data tables](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm)). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03. - **Occupation:** O\*NET OnLine, [53-7021.00 Crane and Tower Operators](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-7021.00), retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0). - **Apprenticeship sponsors:** U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 ([Partner Finder](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/partner-finder)). - **Schools & graduates:** U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024\_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code ([completions file](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/data/C2024_A.zip); [CIP-SOC crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Files/CIP2020_SOC2018_Crosswalk.xlsx)). - **Tuition:** U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID ([source](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/)). Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03. --- Canonical HTML: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/illinois/ Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm). Programs: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions; DOL Office of Apprenticeship. Tuition: College Scorecard.