Crane and Tower Operators
Median $68,080
Occupation · SOC 53-7011
Conveyor Operators and Tenders: pay and where the jobs are
What conveyor operators and tenders earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$42,420 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $45,080
- Median hourly wage
- $20.39
- Mean hourly wage
- $21.68
- Employment
- 22,930
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-7011.
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See where your pay falls among conveyor operators and tenders nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do conveyor operators and tenders make?
The median annual wage for conveyor operators and tenders was $42,420 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,180 and the highest-paid 10% more than $59,470. As an hourly rate, the median is $20.39. About 22,930 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in West Virginia ($62,830), Iowa ($56,900) and Maryland ($56,120). West Virginia also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for conveyor operators and tenders looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,180 | $17.39 | $3,015 | $2,604 |
| 25th percentile | $38,180 | $18.35 | $3,182 | $2,738 |
| Median | $42,420 | $20.39 | $3,535 | $3,022 |
| 75th percentile | $48,530 | $23.33 | $4,044 | $3,431 |
| 90th percentile | $59,470 | $28.59 | $4,956 | $4,164 |
Conveyor Operators and Tenders: pay by state
44 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$56,622 take-home in national prices
2
$52,857 take-home in national prices
3
$50,780 take-home in national prices
Where a median conveyor operators and tender paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 580 | $62,830 | $39,400 | $74,810 | $50,675 | $56,622 |
| Iowa | 590 | $56,900 | $43,190 | $63,780 | $46,389 | $52,857 |
| Maryland | 30 | $56,120 | $34,610 | $70,840 | $44,973 | $42,848 |
| Alabama | 210 | $55,970 | $46,080 | $62,540 | $44,820 | $50,460 |
| Louisiana | 210 | $54,590 | $33,650 | $64,750 | $44,792 | $50,780 |
| Wyoming | 120 | $52,480 | $37,210 | $112,060 | $44,348 | $47,845 |
| New Jersey | 210 | $50,750 | $36,540 | $56,790 | $41,298 | $37,956 |
| Utah | 140 | $48,620 | $41,410 | $64,390 | $39,653 | $40,109 |
| North Dakota | 80 | $47,770 | $37,140 | $121,540 | $40,563 | $45,598 |
| Indiana | 610 | $46,300 | $37,300 | $99,970 | $38,046 | $40,765 |
| Pennsylvania | 450 | $45,130 | $36,940 | $63,770 | $37,025 | $37,946 |
| South Dakota | 500 | $44,890 | $36,180 | $52,480 | $38,249 | $43,177 |
| Kentucky | 780 | $44,800 | $39,180 | $58,390 | $36,726 | $40,735 |
| Illinois | 480 | $44,290 | $36,530 | $59,310 | $35,719 | $35,734 |
| Missouri | 290 | $44,100 | $36,490 | $56,950 | $36,479 | $40,168 |
| Washington | 640 | $43,480 | $37,550 | $59,110 | $36,513 | $34,120 |
| Oregon | 390 | $43,410 | $40,680 | $59,000 | $34,103 | $32,994 |
| Nebraska | 1,180 | $43,360 | $37,460 | $48,440 | $35,926 | $39,873 |
| California | 2,460 | $43,150 | $39,890 | $51,400 | $35,581 | $32,136 |
| Massachusetts | 170 | $43,150 | $38,710 | $43,170 | $34,715 | $32,825 |
| Minnesota | 460 | $43,000 | $37,660 | $51,570 | $35,059 | $35,550 |
| Hawaii | Not published | $42,880 | $42,880 | $43,890 | $34,898 | $31,740 |
| New York | 720 | $42,670 | $34,730 | $53,560 | $34,543 | $32,007 |
| Idaho | 240 | $40,750 | $37,200 | $49,660 | $33,871 | $35,469 |
| Texas | 2,380 | $40,650 | $33,840 | $58,900 | $34,842 | $35,899 |
| Georgia | 600 | $40,630 | $36,720 | $53,100 | $33,547 | $34,839 |
| Colorado | 370 | $40,480 | $37,590 | $56,690 | $33,455 | $32,464 |
| Vermont | 50 | $40,390 | $39,190 | $40,390 | $33,714 | $34,417 |
| Kansas | 840 | $40,030 | $31,770 | $56,100 | $32,910 | $36,539 |
| Virginia | 820 | $39,840 | $34,820 | $58,470 | $32,715 | $32,358 |
| Ohio | 340 | $39,610 | $38,000 | $49,960 | $33,368 | $35,967 |
| Wisconsin | 450 | $39,550 | $37,890 | $59,890 | $32,897 | $34,961 |
| Michigan | 410 | $39,340 | $35,610 | $56,950 | $32,368 | $33,641 |
| Arizona | 360 | $39,260 | $36,490 | $44,670 | $33,138 | $32,915 |
| North Carolina | 840 | $39,160 | $37,320 | $47,620 | $32,591 | $34,552 |
| Montana | 370 | $38,760 | $37,240 | $57,200 | $32,259 | $34,084 |
| Nevada | 350 | $38,450 | $37,440 | $49,570 | $33,075 | $33,082 |
| Mississippi | 230 | $38,320 | $32,290 | $52,720 | $32,169 | $36,996 |
| Maine | 200 | $38,310 | $35,680 | $66,920 | $31,767 | $32,732 |
| Tennessee | 760 | $38,260 | $36,350 | $51,410 | $32,922 | $35,835 |
| Florida | 470 | $38,190 | $36,350 | $43,720 | $32,866 | $31,781 |
| South Carolina | 440 | $38,020 | $34,900 | $44,980 | $32,271 | $34,423 |
| Arkansas | 300 | $36,940 | $33,450 | $47,480 | $30,982 | $35,637 |
| Oklahoma | 350 | $36,200 | $33,090 | $57,870 | $30,183 | $34,360 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-7011. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.