Crane drivers roles in the UK earn a median of £49,000 per year, equivalent to £18.85 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 6.4% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £37,500 in East Midlands to £59,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £46,463/yr (5% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£49,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£18.85
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+6.4%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£42,000 – £58,500
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~7,000
estimated employees
17 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~14,000 → 2024: ~7,000
Market Signal
Growing marketPay and employment are both rising — competition for workers is increasing.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Annual pay for Crane drivers across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
Annual pay grew by +6.4% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Crane drivers.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
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For employers & recruiters
Crane drivers supervise and undertake the operation of cranes, jib cranes, power driven hoisting machinery and power driven stationary engines to raise and lower mine and other cages, and to lift and move equipment, materials, machinery and containers.
There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience operating other heavy machinery supplemented with short courses. Operators are required to hold a Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) card owned and administered by the National Open College Network (NOCN) group, demonstrating basic skills and safety awareness.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.