The Jobs and Skills Australia median of $3,411 a week is more than double the award minimum — most crane operators on major construction and resources projects are paid under enterprise agreements.
Which award covers crane operators
Which award covers a crane operator depends on who employs them. Operators employed by a crane hire company are covered by the Mobile Crane Hiring Award 2020 [MA000032], which grades them from MCE1 to MCE7 by the size and type of crane they are licensed and required to operate.
That award does not apply to an employer covered by the Building and Construction General On-site Award. A crane operator employed directly by a builder or construction contractor is classified under that award instead, from CW3 for small cranes to CW7 for tower cranes and the largest mobile cranes.
Both awards add an all-purpose industry allowance to the classification rate ($63.79 a week under the Mobile Crane Hiring Award, $67.15 in general building), so the rates below include it.
Crane operators on major projects and in mining are very often paid under enterprise agreements, which is why the market median is far above either award.
Read the Mobile Crane Hiring Award 2020 [MA000032] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 July 2026).
Crane Operator award pay rates 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
Crane operator pay rates — Mobile Crane Hiring Award (crane hire companies)
Weekly = clause 16.1 minimum + the $63.79 all-purpose industry allowance. Hourly and casual rates are exactly as published in Schedule B.2.1 and B.3.1.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile crane employee level 1 (MCE1)Slew crane up to 20t, dogger | $31.13 | $1,182.89 | $61,510 | $38.91 |
| Mobile crane employee level 2 (MCE2)Slew crane 21–60t, Franna (non-slew) | $32.06 | $1,218.09 | $63,341 | $40.08 |
| Mobile crane employee level 3 (MCE3)Slew crane 61–100t | $32.98 | $1,253.19 | $65,166 | $41.23 |
| Mobile crane employee level 4 (MCE4)Slew crane 101–200t | $33.81 | $1,284.89 | $66,814 | $42.26 |
| Mobile crane employee level 5 (MCE5)Slew crane 201–300t | $35.45 | $1,346.89 | $70,038 | $44.31 |
| Mobile crane employee level 6 (MCE6)Slew crane 301–400t | $36.14 | $1,373.29 | $71,411 | $45.18 |
| Mobile crane employee level 7 (MCE7)Slew crane 401t and over | $37.06 | $1,408.29 | $73,231 | $46.33 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Crane operator pay rates — Building and Construction Award (employed by a builder)
Clause 19.1 minimum + the $67.15 general building industry allowance, weekly hire. The award publishes no hourly schedule, so hourly is the weekly amount over 38 hours and casual adds the 25% loading (cl 12.4).
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CW3 — cranes up to 5 tonnes | $31.22 | $1,186.25 | $61,685 | $39.03 |
| CW4 — mobile cranes up to 15 tonnes | $32.15 | $1,221.55 | $63,521 | $40.19 |
| CW5 — mobile and other cranes up to 100 tonnes | $33.07 | $1,256.75 | $65,351 | $41.34 |
| CW6 — mobile cranes over 100 up to 180 tonnes | $33.91 | $1,288.45 | $66,999 | $42.39 |
| CW7 — tower crane; mobile cranes over 180 tonnes | $34.83 | $1,323.45 | $68,819 | $43.54 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Crane Operator penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary hours (Monday–Friday, 6 am–6 pm) | 100% | 125% |
| Saturday before 12 noon — first 2 hours | 150% | 175% |
| Saturday after 2 hours or after 12 noon; Sunday | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
Mobile Crane Hiring Award: percentages of the ordinary hourly rate including the industry allowance. Ordinary hours are Monday to Friday (cl 12.1), so weekend work is overtime (cl 22.3); casual rates include the loading (cl 9.4). The Building and Construction Award uses the same percentages.
Overtime
- Monday to Friday and Saturday before 12 noon: 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200% (cl 22.3, Schedule B.2.3).
- Saturday after 12 noon and Sunday: 200%. Public holiday: 250%. Casuals: 175%, 225% and 275% (cl 9.4).
- Minimum of 4 hours for overtime on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday (cl 22.5). Travel between depot and site outside ordinary hours is paid at overtime rates (cl 22.6).
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Allowances
| Allowance | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Industry allowance (crane hire) | $63.79 per week | All purposes, all employees (cl 16.2); included in the first table. |
| Industry allowance (building) | $67.15 per week | All purposes, general building and construction (MA000020 cl 22.1); included in the second table. |
| Mobile crane capacity adjustment (building) | $26.86 per week | Added for each extra 40 tonnes over 100 tonnes lifting capacity, CW5 and above (MA000020 cl 19.5); not included. |
Crane Operator pay after tax
On the Mobile crane employee level 2 (MCE2) rate of $1,218.09 a week, a full-time crane operator earns $63,341 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $63,341 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$9,472 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,267 |
| Take-home per year | $52,602 |
| Take-home per week | $1,012 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $65,000 (the nearest step to $63,341), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What crane operators actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Crane, Hoist and Lift Operators (ANZSCO 7121) at $3,411 a week ($83 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations.
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) as published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It reflects what employers actually pay, including people on enterprise agreements or above-award salaries, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum.
What this page does not show
- Shiftwork rates (Schedule B.2.2), standby and call-back payments, and trainee rates.
- Building award crane capacity adjustments above 100 tonnes, and allowances such as the multistorey allowance.
- Enterprise agreement rates, which cover most large crane hire and construction employers.
Crane Operator pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
Every minimum rate was read from the Fair Work Commission's consolidated text of the Mobile Crane Hiring Award 2020, consolidated to 1 July 2026, on 23 September 2026. Casual rates are the award's own published figures wherever it publishes them. Nothing is estimated.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1Mobile Crane Hiring Award 2020 [MA000032] — consolidated to 1 July 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 2
- 3Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 4Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 5
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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