WAGE DATA · SOC 53-7021

CRANE OPERATOR PAY
IN KENTUCKY.

Kentucky crane operators earn a median of $26.49/hr (BLS 2024). 770 workers employed statewide. Compare market wages, federal prevailing rates, and per-diem baselines below.

// BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS · STATEWIDEOEWS · MAY 2024
HOURLY MEDIAN
$26.49/hr
MEAN HOURLY
$27.81/hr
ANNUAL MEDIAN
$55K
EMPLOYED
770
10th · $19.27MEDIAN · $26.4990th · $40.37
// DAVIS-BACON · FEDERAL PREVAILING WAGE106 ACTIVE WDS

Active Wage Determinations · Kentucky

106 active Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations cover Kentucky. Each WD sets the legal minimum wage (base + fringe by trade classification) on federally-funded construction in the counties it applies to. Showing the 12 most recently modified — click through for the per-trade rates on sam.gov.

Per-trade rates (the actual $/hr for crane operators by county) are published on the SAM.gov detail page for each WD. Browse all 106 Kentucky Wage Determinations on sam.gov. If a contractor on a federal job is paying below the WD, file a WH-3 with DOL WHD.

// GSA PER DIEM · FY 2026GSA

Lodging + M&IE by City

The federal government's per-diem rate is the baseline most contractors use. If your job's per diem is below this, you're subsidizing the contractor.

Kenton
Kenton
$249
/day · meals $86
Louisville
Jefferson
$223
/day · meals $80
Lexington
Fayette
$198
/day · meals $80
Boone
Boone
$184
/day · meals $68
Standard Rate
Kentucky
$178
/day · meals $68
// ROADHAND COMMUNITY DATABE FIRST

What are workers actually earning?

Government data is a baseline. Real take-home pay — including per diem, OT rules, housing allowances — comes from workers on the ground. Submit your pay anonymously to help the next hand.

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FAQ

How much does a crane operator earn in Kentucky?+
According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2024), crane operators in Kentucky earn a median of $26.49/hr. That's roughly $55K/year for a full-time schedule at straight time.
What's the top pay for crane operators in Kentucky?+
The top 10% of crane operators in Kentucky earn more than $40.37/hr (BLS 2024). That represents experienced workers, supervisors, or those on high-per-diem travel contracts.
How many crane operators work in Kentucky?+
BLS reports 770 crane operators employed in Kentucky as of 2024. Numbers fluctuate with major construction cycles — when big projects like LNG terminals or data centers start, demand spikes.
Do crane operators in Kentucky get per diem?+
Per diem is standard on travel contracts. The federal GSA baseline for Kentucky is typically $150-$260/day depending on the city. Contractors may set their per diem higher or lower — if it's below the GSA floor, you're subsidizing the contractor's housing budget out of pocket.
What's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage?+
Davis-Bacon rates are the legally-required minimum wages on federally-funded construction projects — base pay plus fringe benefits. Every contractor working a federal job must pay at least the Davis-Bacon rate for that county and trade. Private-sector jobs don't have to match, but many do as a competitive floor.