WAGE DATA · SOC 53-7021

CRANE OPERATOR PAY
IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

South Carolina crane operators earn a median of $26.64/hr (BLS 2024). 980 workers employed statewide. Compare market wages, federal prevailing rates, and per-diem baselines below.

// BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS · STATEWIDEOEWS · MAY 2024
HOURLY MEDIAN
$26.64/hr
MEAN HOURLY
$29.41/hr
ANNUAL MEDIAN
$55K
EMPLOYED
980
10th · $19.37MEDIAN · $26.6490th · $40.23
// DAVIS-BACON · FEDERAL PREVAILING WAGE66 ACTIVE WDS

Active Wage Determinations · South Carolina

66 active Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations cover South Carolina. 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 66 South Carolina 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.

Charleston
Charleston / Berkeley / Dorchester
$338
/day · meals $92
Hilton Head
Beaufort
$249
/day · meals $80
Myrtle Beach
Horry
$206
/day · meals $74
Columbia
Richland / Lexington
$189
/day · meals $74
Standard Rate
South Carolina
$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 South Carolina?+
According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2024), crane operators in South Carolina earn a median of $26.64/hr. That's roughly $55K/year for a full-time schedule at straight time.
What's the top pay for crane operators in South Carolina?+
The top 10% of crane operators in South Carolina earn more than $40.23/hr (BLS 2024). That represents experienced workers, supervisors, or those on high-per-diem travel contracts.
How many crane operators work in South Carolina?+
BLS reports 980 crane operators employed in South Carolina 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 South Carolina get per diem?+
Per diem is standard on travel contracts. The federal GSA baseline for South Carolina 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.