Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for industrial truck and tractor operatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$76,770
- Hawaii$64,460
- Wyoming$57,810
- Alaska$55,310
- New Hampshire$53,490
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$42,360
- Mississippi$42,860
- Tennessee$43,860
- North Carolina$43,960
- Arkansas$44,290
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $76,770 | $83,720 | $37 | +58.7% | — |
| 2 | Hawaii | $64,460 | $53,640 | $31 | +33.3% | 880 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $57,810 | $59,820 | $28 | +19.5% | 790 |
| 4 | Alaska | $55,310 | $54,190 | $27 | +14.3% | 410 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $53,490 | $54,460 | $26 | +10.6% | 1,450 |
| 6 | Delaware | $53,480 | $60,350 | $26 | +10.6% | 5,230 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $53,290 | $62,150 | $26 | +10.2% | 2,620 |
| 8 | Colorado | $53,190 | $50,570 | $26 | +10% | 8,570 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $53,070 | $49,740 | $26 | +9.7% | 7,110 |
| 10 | New York | $52,860 | $49,030 | $25 | +9.3% | 18,420 |
| 11 | Washington | $52,360 | $49,910 | $25 | +8.2% | 18,750 |
| 12 | Oregon | $52,160 | $50,760 | $25 | +7.8% | 8,560 |
| 13 | Utah | $51,920 | $49,040 | $25 | +7.3% | 6,830 |
| 14 | Maine | $51,710 | $47,730 | $25 | +6.9% | 2,900 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $50,940 | $47,190 | $24 | +5.3% | 3,780 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $50,920 | $49,260 | $24 | +5.3% | 930 |
| 17 | California | $50,360 | $47,770 | $24 | +4.1% | 89,620 |
| 18 | Montana | $50,140 | $48,060 | $24 | +3.7% | 910 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $50,110 | $47,720 | $24 | +3.6% | 12,150 |
| 20 | Arizona | $49,820 | $48,110 | $24 | +3% | 12,340 |
| 21 | Ohio | $49,800 | $46,450 | $24 | +3% | 42,360 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $49,760 | $47,730 | $24 | +2.9% | 42,110 |
| 23 | Florida | $49,740 | $48,370 | $24 | +2.8% | 38,400 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $49,630 | $46,630 | $24 | +2.6% | 11,270 |
| 25 | Illinois | $49,550 | $47,720 | $24 | +2.4% | 29,450 |
| 26 | Vermont | $49,410 | $47,380 | $24 | +2.2% | 950 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $49,290 | $46,100 | $24 | +1.9% | 21,790 |
| 28 | Nevada | $49,070 | $45,230 | $24 | +1.4% | 7,300 |
| 29 | Iowa | $48,870 | $47,590 | $24 | +1% | 7,770 |
| 30 | Michigan | $48,860 | $45,220 | $23 | +1% | 23,470 |
| 31 | Virginia | $48,810 | $46,920 | $23 | +0.9% | 19,320 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $48,790 | $48,950 | $23 | +0.9% | 7,680 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $48,730 | $47,410 | $23 | +0.7% | 1,940 |
| 34 | Maryland | $48,330 | $45,630 | $23 | -0.1% | 13,740 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | $48,190 | $46,850 | $23 | -0.4% | 8,390 |
| 36 | Idaho | $48,020 | $46,600 | $23 | -0.7% | 2,560 |
| 37 | Kansas | $47,980 | $47,430 | $23 | -0.8% | 7,700 |
| 38 | Missouri | $47,970 | $45,190 | $23 | -0.8% | 11,470 |
| 39 | Indiana | $47,600 | $45,650 | $23 | -1.6% | 23,090 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $47,410 | $45,010 | $23 | -2% | 780 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $47,090 | $46,730 | $23 | -2.6% | 5,020 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $45,950 | $44,700 | $22 | -5% | 7,850 |
| 43 | Alabama | $45,540 | $44,880 | $22 | -5.9% | 15,360 |
| 44 | Texas | $45,400 | $45,450 | $22 | -6.1% | 88,780 |
| 45 | Georgia | $45,070 | $43,210 | $22 | -6.8% | 50,260 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $45,010 | $43,680 | $22 | -6.9% | 14,210 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $44,290 | $43,780 | $21 | -8.4% | 10,850 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $43,960 | $43,420 | $21 | -9.1% | 26,830 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $43,860 | $42,100 | $21 | -9.3% | 20,070 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $42,860 | $43,420 | $21 | -11.4% | 9,640 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $42,360 | $41,670 | $20 | -12.4% | 1,400 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 515 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flint, MI | $78,530 | $61,780 | 1,020 |
| 2 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $66,350 | $63,190 | 40 |
| 3 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $64,630 | $72,420 | 80 |
| 4 | Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $63,990 | $56,210 | 740 |
| 5 | Wasatch Front Fringe Utah nonmetropolitan area | $63,720 | $59,050 | 420 |
| 6 | Cheyenne, WY | $62,520 | $59,660 | 360 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $62,460 | $56,610 | 1,070 |
| 8 | Albuquerque, NM | $62,150 | $56,270 | 1,940 |
| 9 | Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $61,500 | $54,540 | 1,160 |
| 10 | Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $61,410 | $58,750 | 580 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing industrial truck and tractor operatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $77,220 | $81,700 | 110 |
| 2 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $76,510 | $69,720 | 2,700 |
| 3 | Metal Ore Mining | $71,090 | $65,640 | 40 |
| 4 | Other Building Equipment Contractors | $70,620 | $67,750 | 240 |
| 5 | Coal Mining | $70,380 | $67,540 | 280 |
| 6 | Rail Transportation | $68,960 | $68,790 | 250 |
| 7 | Rail Transportation | $68,960 | $68,790 | 250 |
| 8 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $65,540 | $57,360 | — |
| 9 | Ship and Boat Building | $64,490 | $58,550 | 600 |
| 10 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $61,600 | $61,340 | 610 |
| 11 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $61,600 | $66,060 | 710 |
| 12 | General Merchandise Retailers | $61,060 | $55,940 | 21,040 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do industrial truck and tractor operators make in the U.S.?
The median industrial truck and tractor operators salary in the United States is $46,420 per year (mean $48,370), and about 80% earn between $36,840 and $62,520.
How much do industrial truck and tractor operators make per hour?
Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $48,370 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays industrial truck and tractor operators the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for industrial truck and tractor operators at $76,770 per year (median $83,720).
What is the job outlook for industrial truck and tractor operators?
Employment is projected to change +1.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 76,400 openings per year.