Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for tank car, truck, and ship loaders in the U.S. is $58,870 ($28.30 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $58,870
- Mean annual wage
- $59,970
- Median hourly wage
- $28.30
- Employment
- 10,700
10,700 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,460 | $18.97 |
| 25th percentile | $46,300 | $22.26 |
| Median (50th) | $58,870 | $28.30 |
| 75th percentile | $70,060 | $33.69 |
| 90th percentile | $83,160 | $39.98 |
Highest-paying states for tank car, truck, and ship loaders
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $81,320 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $80,700 | 90 |
| Montana | $80,070 | 80 |
| Minnesota | $76,620 | — |
| Alabama | $75,450 | 240 |
| Oregon | $74,040 | — |
| Massachusetts | $71,750 | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $70,030 | 40 |
| California | $68,600 | 110 |
| New Jersey | $64,890 | 120 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $33,800 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $35,360 median annual wage
- Virginia: $41,190 median annual wage
- Idaho: $41,700 median annual wage
- Indiana: $44,310 median annual wage
About this occupation
Load and unload chemicals and bulk solids, such as coal, sand, and grain, into or from tank cars, trucks, or ships, using material moving equipment. May perform a variety of other tasks relating to shipment of products. May gauge or sample shipping tanks and test them for leaks.
Typical tasks
- Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.
- Clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles.
- Unload cars containing liquids by connecting hoses to outlet plugs and pumping compressed air into cars to force liquids into storage tanks.
- Copy and attach load specifications to loaded tanks.
- Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads.
- Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 15.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 49.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 20.2% |
| Associate's degree | 6.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 7.6% |
| Master's degree | 0.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.4% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
- Stockers and Order Fillers$37,330
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$58,640
- Light Truck Drivers$44,860
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors$62,890
- Packers and Packagers, Hand$36,280
- Driver/Sales Workers$38,770
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.