Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
With 103,090 professionals, Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators is a significant occupation in the U.S. workforce. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 6.6% over recent years.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
103,090 Workforce in 2023
The Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$51,912 Average Wage
In 2023, Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators earned an average of $51,912.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Salary distribution for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
2.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
458,921 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 12.4%
516,045 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 26.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 98,080 employees, $52,089 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 35,270 employees, $53,008 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 17,020 employees, $50,607 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 8,810 employees, $53,407 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 5,020 employees, $49,425 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 4,460 employees, $60,008 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 3,940 employees, $52,742 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 3,770 employees, $46,114 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 3,120 employees, $49,372 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 2,810 employees, $49,966 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 2,360 employees, $53,684 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in 2023 was 103,090 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
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 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Skills
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Coordination, Equipment Maintenance.
Required skills for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators include Mathematics, English Language, Production and Processing, Transportation, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators include Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Far Vision, Response Orientation, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
Daily Activities
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Handling and Moving Objects, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
About
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
The average yearly wage for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators was $51,912 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-7051 - Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators reports an average salary of $51,912.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 103,090 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.4%, 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.