--- title: "Crane Operator Programs in Virginia: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/virginia/ description: "Crane Operator pay in Virginia: BLS average $66,470 (all experience levels), median $66,600, bottom 10% $42,720. 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. Virginia Virginia # Crane Operator programs in *Virginia* 1 listed crane operator program in Virginia, plus BLS pay data for the state and 5 metro areas. - **$66,470** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$42,720** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$66,600** Median pay (state) - **$88,480** Top 10% earn over 1,120 jobs in Virginia · 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 - [Eagle Rock 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/virginia/eagle-rock/) BLS wage data ## Crane Operator pay in Virginia 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Virginia | $42,720 | $54,770 | $66,600 | $77,630 | $88,480 | $66,470 | 1,120 | | 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $62,300 | $70,250 | $92,120 | $94,700 | $94,700 | $83,830 | 410 | | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $53,430 | $66,600 | $71,400 | $77,630 | $87,400 | $71,430 | 430 | | Winchester, VA-WV | $41,080 | $54,210 | $63,480 | $79,000 | $87,960 | $66,620 | 40 | | Richmond, VA | $40,520 | $49,250 | $61,180 | $73,540 | $79,380 | $61,080 | 170 | | Roanoke, VA | $35,990 | $43,990 | $52,540 | $63,260 | $80,980 | $57,380 | 40 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Virginia Every crane operator program we matched in Virginia. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Mountain Crane Company | Eagle Rock, VA | 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 - [Eagle Rock 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/crane-operator/virginia/eagle-rock/) 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 Virginia** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/va/) ## 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/virginia/ 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.