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How Much Does an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator Make?

An industrial truck and tractor operator in the US earns a median salary of $46,420 a year, or $22.32 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $48,370, and the middle half earn between $40,030 and $54,770.

Median a year $46,420
Median an hour $22.32
Median a month $3,868
Average a year $48,370

Industrial truck and tractor operator pay range

What industrial truck and tractor operators earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $36,840 $17.71
25th $40,030 $19.24
Median (50th) $46,420 $22.32
75th $54,770 $26.33
90th (top 10%) $62,520 $30.06

The median is 9% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 774,420 people work as industrial truck and tractor operators in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$893
Every two weeks
$1,785
Twice a month
$1,934
A month
$3,868

At the median salary, before tax.

Industrial truck and tractor operator salary by state

Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays industrial truck and tractor operators the most, at $76,770 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
District of Columbia $76,770 $83,720 – After tax
Hawaii $64,460 $53,640 880 After tax
Wyoming $57,810 $59,820 790 After tax
Alaska $55,310 $54,190 410 After tax
New Hampshire $53,490 $54,460 1,450 After tax
Delaware $53,480 $60,350 5,230 After tax
New Mexico $53,290 $62,150 2,620 After tax
Colorado $53,190 $50,570 8,570 After tax
Minnesota $53,070 $49,740 7,110 After tax
New York $52,860 $49,030 18,420 After tax
Washington $52,360 $49,910 18,750 After tax
Oregon $52,160 $50,760 8,560 After tax
Utah $51,920 $49,040 6,830 After tax
Maine $51,710 $47,730 2,900 After tax
Connecticut $50,940 $47,190 3,780 After tax
North Dakota $50,920 $49,260 930 After tax
California $50,360 $47,770 89,620 After tax
Montana $50,140 $48,060 910 After tax
Wisconsin $50,110 $47,720 12,150 After tax
Arizona $49,820 $48,110 12,340 After tax
Ohio $49,800 $46,450 42,360 After tax
Pennsylvania $49,760 $47,730 42,110 After tax
Florida $49,740 $48,370 38,400 After tax
Kentucky $49,630 $46,630 11,270 After tax
Illinois $49,550 $47,720 29,450 After tax
Vermont $49,410 $47,380 950 After tax
New Jersey $49,290 $46,100 21,790 After tax
Nevada $49,070 $45,230 7,300 After tax
Iowa $48,870 $47,590 7,770 After tax
Michigan $48,860 $45,220 23,470 After tax
Virginia $48,810 $46,920 19,320 After tax
Louisiana $48,790 $48,950 7,680 After tax
South Dakota $48,730 $47,410 1,940 After tax
Maryland $48,330 $45,630 13,740 After tax
Massachusetts $48,190 $46,850 8,390 After tax
Idaho $48,020 $46,600 2,560 After tax
Kansas $47,980 $47,430 7,700 After tax
Missouri $47,970 $45,190 11,470 After tax
Indiana $47,600 $45,650 23,090 After tax
Rhode Island $47,410 $45,010 780 After tax
Nebraska $47,090 $46,730 5,020 After tax
Oklahoma $45,950 $44,700 7,850 After tax
Alabama $45,540 $44,880 15,360 After tax
Texas $45,400 $45,450 88,780 After tax
Georgia $45,070 $43,210 50,260 After tax
South Carolina $45,010 $43,680 14,210 After tax
Arkansas $44,290 $43,780 10,850 After tax
North Carolina $43,960 $43,420 26,830 After tax
Tennessee $43,860 $42,100 20,070 After tax
Mississippi $42,860 $43,420 9,640 After tax
Puerto Rico $42,780 $36,090 3,450
West Virginia $42,360 $41,670 1,400 After tax
Guam $39,620 $34,870 60
Virgin Islands $37,720 $35,230 60

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other transportation and material moving jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators” (SOC 53-7051). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an industrial truck and tractor operator make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an industrial truck and tractor operator is $22.32, and the average is $23.25. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $17.71 an hour and the top 10% over $30.06.

How much does an industrial truck and tractor operator make a month?

At the median salary of $46,420, an industrial truck and tractor operator earns about $3,868 a month before tax, or $1,785 every two weeks.

Which state pays industrial truck and tractor operators the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for an industrial truck and tractor operator, at $76,770 a year. Next are Hawaii and Wyoming. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an industrial truck and tractor operator?

The lowest-paid 10% of industrial truck and tractor operators earn less than $36,840 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $40,030. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid industrial truck and tractor operators make?

The top 10% earn more than $62,520 a year, and the top 25% more than $54,770.