How much does a Tower Climber make?

Tower climbers bring your phone to life. We work all year, around the clock and in all weather conditions to make modern life possible.

I remember when I was a boy staring out of the window of a car on a drive across the countryside of Ohio, and I imagined how cool it would be if I could watch cartoons on a mini-tv.

Today, that's possible, all because of the invention of cellular data transmission and the blood and sweat of thousands of tower climbers.

So, how much do tower climbers make in an hour, a month, or a year?

It's not a simple question to answer.

First, you'll need to understand what a tower crew consists of. Typically a tower crew will have 3 or 4 workers.

Foreman: A foreman is typically the leader of the crew as a whole. He sets schedules, keeps up with paperwork and updates, and acts as a point of contact with the office and logistics side of the company. Usually, a foreman will have worked his way through the ranks of the tower crew and will have a lot of climbing experience. This is not always the case, however, and sometimes companies will place relatively inexperienced guys with a background in electrical or fiber optics in this role. Pay for foremans varies enormously based on experience and the company itself. On the low end, an inexperienced foreman who lacks much climbing experience can make $18-$20 an hour. An experienced foreman who is deeply familiar with the tower business and knows how to properly market his abilities can make up to $30 an hour at some companies. Average foreman rate is in the mid to high twenties per hour.

Tophand: The "tophand" is often the most important man on a tower site. His job is to lead the topside construction of the tower site. He will climb all-day, every-day, and will be responsible for training an endless number of new and less experienced climbers while building sites quickly and to the client's specifications. Top hands tend to be strong young men whose bodies can stand up to the constant abuse that the job throws at them.

Unfortunately, many companies will push relatively inexperienced and untrained guys into this role due to a general lack of people capable of filling this job. Many deaths in the tower business can be traced back to a tower crew not having a competent, well-trained top hand. Top hands make $16 an hour on the low end and up to the high twenties on the high end. New climbers who are quickly thrown into this role are often on the low end of the pay scale, while seasoned climbers who have foreman-level experience and understanding of the tower climber labor market can make up to $26-27 an hour at some companies.

Tower hand: The towerhand's role is skilled labor with no leadership responsibility. A guy in this role will typically have 3 months to 2 years of experience. A tower climber should be able to perform specific tasks on the tower with little to no supervision, but won't be expected to lead tower top or overall site construction.

Guys in this role can make between $12-25 an hour, with most falling in the $18-20 an hour range.

Greenhand: "greenhand," "greenbean," "new guy," "Fuckin' New Guy," "dumbass," "greenie-weenie," etc. are all acceptable terms for the worthless fools who throw themselves into the tower business every day. For the most part, these relatively worthless new guys won't make it, but about 35% of the time they do. Once a greenhand has learned the art of putting nuts and bolts together in the right order, turning channel locks in the right direction, tying a bowline at the end of a rope and understanding that a lug needs to be crimped if it's going to stay on the end of a wire, he can be considered a tower hand and can start giving the other worthless green hands their fair load of shit. Green hands make between $9-16 an hour, but most would be overpaid at minimum wage.

This business isn't for the weak, sensitive or thin skinned. If you feel like I'm being too hard on the greenhand, you're probably not cut out for tower work. If you can't handle getting yelled at, you're probably not gonna make it long in the tower business. It's a business for tough, wild, high-strung and determined individuals. Guys with a background in high-steel, farming, construction, mountaineering, and military (especially combat) tend to do well in this business.

When it comes to pay, it should be understood that tower guys don't work 40 hour weeks. We usually start at or before 7am and work until dark- 5 or 6 days a week. In the summer, tower guys work 55-80 hours a week and in the winter we work 40-60. Some companies work unlimited overtime while others hold guys back to 50 or 60 hours a week. Therefore, a guy making $20 an hour can gross $1,400 on a one week check for working 60 hours. On an 80 hour week, he will earn $2000 before taxes. Tower guys are rarely rich, but they usually aren't poor, either.

If you're in Colorado, Kansas or Nebraska and want to break into the tower business or have experience and want to find a good job, send your resume to [email protected]