Just read that a tower crane operator in Chicago can make over $150k a year, which honestly shocked me.

I found that stat in a union pay scale report online, and it made me rethink the whole 'just driving a crane' perception of the job, so what's the most surprising thing you've learned about the pay or respect in this trade?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_carr71mo ago

My buddy's a union electrician in Philly. Clears 120k with overtime. People have no idea what skilled trades actually make.

river_reed1mo ago

Clears 120k" in Philly? That's wild money.

tara7451mo ago

That "with overtime" part is doing a lot of work there. The base pay is solid, but hitting 120k means working a ton of extra hours most people don't want. It's still good money, just not the full picture.