Crane Operator Salary in Canada | By Province

In 2025, the median crane operator salary in Canada is $42.77 per hour. Entry-level customer care positions start at roughly $26.50 per hour, while top-tier, experienced agents make up to $52.19 per hour. Pay scales vary heavily depending on your province and technical skill level.

Crane Operators in Canada: job prospects, employment requirements, licensing.

Crane operators in Canada, classified under NOC 72500, operate mobile cranes, tower cranes, or draglines to lift, move, position, and place heavy machinery, equipment, and materials at construction sites, industrial locations, ports, mines, and railway yards. Approximately 20,000 to 25,000 people work in this occupation nationally. Job prospects are generally balanced to moderate with some regional shortages through 2033, with about 5,900 projected job openings over the decade supported by infrastructure projects, construction activity, and replacement demand from retirements.

Median hourly wages stand at about 36.00 to 43.00 Canadian dollars nationally, with typical ranges from 27.00 to 55.00 dollars per hour depending on experience, location, type of crane, union status, and industry. Most positions require completion of a one- to three-year apprenticeship program or industry courses, plus compulsory trade certification for mobile and tower cranes in many provinces along with Red Seal endorsement where available, and work conditions generally involve full-time outdoor roles with long hours, overtime, exposure to heights, weather extremes, noise and dust, and strict adherence to safety protocols in high-responsibility environments.

Licensing

Heavy equipment operators may be regulated in the province or territory you wish to settle in. Contact the regulatory authority and/or apprenticeship office in that province or territory.

Call Center Salary by Province

CRANE OPERATOR (NOC 72500)
2025	Wages/hr
Community/Area	Low	Median	High
Canada	26.50	42.77	52.19
Newfoundland and Labrador	26.00	39.63	52.00
Prince Edward Island	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nova Scotia	25.00	41.20	50.00
New Brunswick	23.81	35.00	50.60
Quebec	30.11	43.01	47.00
Ontario	24.50	40.48	53.94
Manitoba	N/A	N/A	N/A
Saskatchewan	27.00	44.31	53.76
Alberta	29.70	45.00	51.68
British Columbia	27.00	43.00	55.00
Yukon Territory	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northwest Territories	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nunavut	N/A	N/A	N/A
Source: Job Bank. 2026

CRANE OPERATOR (NOC 72500)
2024	Wages ($/hour)
Province/Territory	Low	Median	High
Canada	25	41.21	50
Newfoundland and Labrador	24.77	37	52.52
Prince Edward Island	23.45	27.93	32.89
Nova Scotia	25	40.51	50
New Brunswick	21	33.85	46
Quebec	28	42.32	46
Ontario	24	38	50.65
Manitoba	23.2	34.07	50.19
Saskatchewan	29.5	44	51.74
Alberta	29.65	44.27	50.03
British Columbia	25.75	41	53
Yukon Territory	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northwest Territories	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nunavut	N/A	N/A	N/A
Source: Job Bank. 2025

In 2017, crane operators reported higher wages in Alberta.

CRANE OPERATORS (NOC 7371-B)
2017	Wages ($/hr)
Province/Territory	Low	Median	High
Canada	19.25	30	43
Alberta	23	40	49.6
Newfoundland and Labrador	25	34.72	48.6
Manitoba	20	31.78	48
Saskatchewan	28	40.26	48
British Columbia	25	32	42.75
New Brunswick	17	27.35	40
Nova Scotia	17	27.35	40
Ontario	17.95	28	40
Québec	19.25	26	38
Northwest Territories	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nunavut	N/A	N/A	N/A
Prince Edward Island	N/A	N/A	N/A
Yukon	N/A	N/A	N/A
Source: Job Bank. September 2017

*Wages are reviewed and updated on the Job Bank Web site on an annual basis.

CRANE OPERATOR SALARY IN CANADA (2017)