Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary: $58,070 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 10,920 tank car, truck, and ship loaders work nationally, and $58,070 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 29% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 15.3% annual decline.
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders: what the data shows
Common questions about tank car, truck, and ship loaders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-7121.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 10,920 workers.
What does a tank car, truck, and ship loaders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Processing Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a tank car, truck, and ship loaders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $58,070 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $63,753 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,465 |
| 25th percentile | $51,093 |
| Median (50th) | $60,957 |
| 75th percentile | $68,875 |
| 90th percentile | $92,680 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, Monitoring, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Transportation, Production and Processing, English Language, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is tank car, truck, and ship loaders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 15.3% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -56.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -81.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 10,920.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do tank car, truck, and ship loaderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 10,920 | 21.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 10,880 | 21.2% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 6,840 | 13.3% |
| Support Activities for Transportation | 3,650 | 7.1% |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation | 2,440 | 4.8% |
| Manufacturing | 1,840 | 3.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,070,480 | $57,440 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 180,270 | $63,980 |
| Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians | 18,710 | $50,540 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 287,230 | $60,640 |
| Light Truck Drivers | 994,410 | $44,140 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders workforce.
Employment Over Time
10,920 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders shrank from 6,840 in 2009 to 480 in 2025 (93.0%).
Historical employment for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$58,070 Median pay (BLS national)
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders earn $58,070 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Salary distribution for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Employment Growth Projections
-15.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
209 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -56.4%
91 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -81.0%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 3.2% growth (Current: $70,688)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 2,580 employees, $63,220 avg wage
- LA: 1,070 employees, $64,740 avg wage
- FL: 820 employees, $59,020 avg wage
- OH: 790 employees, $58,170 avg wage
- IL: 360 employees, $62,620 avg wage
- KY: 360 employees, $64,200 avg wage
- IN: 340 employees, $58,420 avg wage
- ND: 330 employees, $58,740 avg wage
- IA: 260 employees, $54,910 avg wage
- AL: 220 employees, $72,650 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,720 employees, $65,790 avg wage
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA: 460 employees, $71,710 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 230 employees, $60,550 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 210 employees, $59,190 avg wage
- Baton Rouge, LA: 170 employees, $59,980 avg wage
- Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: 150 employees, $70,980 avg wage
- Charleston, WV: 130 employees, $53,880 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 130 employees, $74,230 avg wage
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 120 employees, $52,870 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 120 employees, $59,920 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders is about 10,920 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders workers.
Education level distribution for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Skills
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, Monitoring.
Required skills for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders include Transportation, Production and Processing, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical.
Knowledge areas required for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders include Multilimb Coordination, Control Precision, Manual Dexterity, Rate Control, Far Vision.
Required abilities for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
Daily Activities
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders spend their time on activities such as Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Processing Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders.
About
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders earn $58,070 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
53-7121 - Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders reports an average salary of $63,753.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 10,920 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -15.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.