Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators (SOC 53-7051) earn a median $46,420 a year ($22.32 an hour) in the United States, with 774,420 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What industrial truck and tractor operators do
Industrial truck and tractor operators operate forklifts, tractors, and similar industrial trucks to move materials around warehouses, storage yards, factories, and construction sites. The standard task is to line up forks or a lifting beam under a loaded pallet, skid, or box, secure it, lift it, and take it to another place, stacking it where it belongs. Operators work levers that control the lifting device, then drive a gasoline- or electric-powered truck, car, or tractor between loading docks, processing areas, and storage racks. They also load and unload pallets, skids, and trucks by hand when needed, and they check each load for accuracy before moving it. The controls may run lift beams with swivel hooks, hoists, or elevating platforms as well as forks. The occupation covers equipment that stays on site; the SOC definition excludes logging equipment operators, who are classed with forestry occupations.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Carry All Driver, CAT Driver (Caterpillar Driver), CAT Operator (Caterpillar Operator), CAT Skinner (Caterpillar Skinner), CAT Tender (Caterpillar Tender).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.71 | $19.24 | $22.32 | $26.33 | $30.06 | $23.25 | 774,420 |
| Annual | $36,840 | $40,030 | $46,420 | $54,770 | $62,520 | $48,370 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where industrial truck and tractor operators earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $27.43 | $33.99 | $40.25 | $40.25 | $40.25 | $36.91 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $57,050 | $70,710 | $83,720 | $83,720 | $83,720 | $76,770 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $17.26 | $19.15 | $29.88 | $29.88 | $31.29 | $25.62 | 2,620 | 3.01 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $35,900 | $39,840 | $62,150 | $62,150 | $65,090 | $53,290 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $18.37 | $21.17 | $29.02 | $29.02 | $29.02 | $25.71 | 5,230 | 10.80 | 2.17 |
| Annual | $38,210 | $44,030 | $60,350 | $60,350 | $60,350 | $53,480 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $18.38 | $22.13 | $28.76 | $31.05 | $35.65 | $27.79 | 790 | 2.82 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $38,220 | $46,020 | $59,820 | $64,590 | $74,160 | $57,810 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $19.52 | $22.14 | $26.19 | $29.64 | $30.17 | $25.72 | 1,450 | 2.12 | 0.43 |
| Annual | $40,600 | $46,050 | $54,460 | $61,660 | $62,750 | $53,490 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $18.58 | $20.77 | $22.97 | $28.06 | $30.45 | $24.21 | 89,620 | 4.92 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $38,650 | $43,210 | $47,770 | $58,360 | $63,330 | $50,360 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.49 | $18.13 | $21.85 | $23.84 | $28.74 | $21.83 | 88,780 | 6.31 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $34,300 | $37,720 | $45,450 | $49,590 | $59,780 | $45,400 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $17.64 | $18.27 | $20.78 | $23.10 | $28.78 | $21.67 | 50,260 | 10.28 | 2.06 |
| Annual | $36,690 | $37,990 | $43,210 | $48,040 | $59,860 | $45,070 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $18.25 | $20.45 | $22.33 | $28.29 | $30.61 | $23.94 | 42,360 | 7.63 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $37,960 | $42,530 | $46,450 | $58,840 | $63,660 | $49,800 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.35 | $20.72 | $22.95 | $27.72 | $30.05 | $23.92 | 42,110 | 6.94 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $38,160 | $43,090 | $47,730 | $57,650 | $62,510 | $49,760 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Flint, MI | Hourly | $18.10 | $21.35 | $37.76 | $37.76 | $37.76 | $29.70 | 1,020 | 7.57 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $37,640 | $44,410 | $78,530 | $78,530 | $78,530 | $61,780 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $22.02 | $24.86 | $31.90 | $31.90 | $42.85 | $30.38 | 40 | 0.61 | 0.12 |
| Annual | $45,810 | $51,710 | $66,350 | $66,350 | $89,140 | $63,190 | ||||
| Cheyenne, WY | Hourly | $20.39 | $26.50 | $30.06 | $31.05 | $35.52 | $28.69 | 360 | 7.50 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $42,400 | $55,120 | $62,520 | $64,590 | $73,880 | $59,660 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $20.60 | $23.16 | $30.03 | $30.83 | $31.07 | $27.22 | 1,070 | 7.40 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $42,840 | $48,170 | $62,460 | $64,120 | $64,630 | $56,610 | ||||
| Albuquerque, NM | Hourly | $18.51 | $23.75 | $29.88 | $29.88 | $31.29 | $27.05 | 1,940 | 4.78 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $38,500 | $49,410 | $62,150 | $62,150 | $65,090 | $56,270 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.56 | $18.89 | $22.71 | $25.17 | $28.86 | $22.92 | 34,650 | 8.56 | 1.72 |
| Annual | $36,530 | $39,280 | $47,230 | $52,360 | $60,020 | $47,670 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $17.66 | $19.05 | $21.49 | $23.43 | $30.59 | $22.67 | 28,750 | 9.95 | 2.00 |
| Annual | $36,740 | $39,630 | $44,710 | $48,730 | $63,620 | $47,160 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.88 | $20.54 | $22.56 | $28.92 | $36.53 | $25.03 | 24,720 | 2.61 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $37,190 | $42,730 | $46,930 | $60,160 | $75,980 | $52,050 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $18.89 | $21.39 | $23.00 | $27.86 | $28.62 | $23.96 | 24,180 | 14.08 | 2.83 |
| Annual | $39,300 | $44,480 | $47,850 | $57,950 | $59,530 | $49,840 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.37 | $20.72 | $23.05 | $27.72 | $30.54 | $24.03 | 22,320 | 4.95 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $38,200 | $43,100 | $47,950 | $57,660 | $63,520 | $49,980 | ||||
Top industries employing industrial truck and tractor operators
Warehousing and Storage employ 37.0% of industrial truck and tractor operators nationally (286,750 jobs) at a median $48,170 a year ($23.16 an hour), followed by Employment Services (8.5%) and Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) (4.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehousing and Storage NAICS 493100 | 286,750 | 37.0% | $48,170 | $23.16 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 65,460 | 8.5% | $38,100 | $18.32 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 34,720 | 4.5% | $45,890 | $22.06 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) NAICS 4240A1 | 29,430 | 3.8% | $46,950 | $22.57 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481100 | 23,920 | 3.1% | $46,970 | $22.58 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (774,420). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $38,380 for industrial truck and tractor operators in May 2021 and $46,420 in May 2025, with employment of 758,290 and 774,420.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $38,380 | $18.45 | 758,290 |
| May 2022 | $41,230 | $19.82 | 780,890 |
| May 2023 | $44,470 | $21.38 | 778,920 |
| May 2024 | $46,390 | $22.30 | 805,770 |
| May 2025 | $46,420 | $22.32 | 774,420 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $40.25 | $83,720 | $57,050 | $83,720 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | New Mexico profile | $29.88 | $62,150 | $35,900 | $65,090 | 2,620 | 3.01 | 0.60 |
| 3 | Delaware profile | $29.02 | $60,350 | $38,210 | $60,350 | 5,230 | 10.80 | 2.17 |
| 4 | Wyoming profile | $28.76 | $59,820 | $38,220 | $74,160 | 790 | 2.82 | 0.57 |
| 5 | New Hampshire profile | $26.19 | $54,460 | $40,600 | $62,750 | 1,450 | 2.12 | 0.43 |
| 6 | Alaska profile | $26.05 | $54,190 | $37,650 | $72,720 | 410 | 1.26 | 0.25 |
| 7 | Hawaii profile | $25.79 | $53,640 | $41,140 | $118,140 | 880 | 1.40 | 0.28 |
| 8 | Oregon profile | $24.40 | $50,760 | $40,410 | $63,150 | 8,560 | 4.35 | 0.87 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $24.31 | $50,570 | $40,560 | $65,630 | 8,570 | 2.98 | 0.60 |
| 10 | Washington profile | $24.00 | $49,910 | $41,600 | $62,920 | 18,750 | 5.28 | 1.06 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $23.91 | $49,740 | $39,940 | $73,870 | 7,110 | 2.41 | 0.48 |
| 12 | North Dakota profile | $23.68 | $49,260 | $40,720 | $62,700 | 930 | 2.17 | 0.44 |
| 13 | Utah profile | $23.58 | $49,040 | $38,270 | $65,760 | 6,830 | 3.93 | 0.79 |
| 14 | New York profile | $23.57 | $49,030 | $38,330 | $73,630 | 18,420 | 1.90 | 0.38 |
| 15 | Louisiana profile | $23.54 | $48,950 | $35,980 | $61,230 | 7,680 | 3.97 | 0.80 |
| 16 | Florida profile | $23.25 | $48,370 | $37,050 | $62,960 | 38,400 | 3.87 | 0.78 |
| 17 | Arizona profile | $23.13 | $48,110 | $38,560 | $62,940 | 12,340 | 3.81 | 0.76 |
| 18 | Montana profile | $23.10 | $48,060 | $36,450 | $64,970 | 910 | 1.79 | 0.36 |
| 19 | California profile | $22.97 | $47,770 | $38,650 | $63,330 | 89,620 | 4.92 | 0.99 |
| 20 | Maine profile | $22.95 | $47,730 | $40,440 | $64,490 | 2,900 | 4.53 | 0.91 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.95 | $47,730 | $38,160 | $62,510 | 42,110 | 6.94 | 1.39 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $22.94 | $47,720 | $37,990 | $63,140 | 29,450 | 4.83 | 0.97 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $22.94 | $47,720 | $38,960 | $62,940 | 12,150 | 4.13 | 0.83 |
| 24 | Iowa profile | $22.88 | $47,590 | $38,640 | $61,000 | 7,770 | 4.98 | 1.00 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $22.80 | $47,430 | $37,910 | $58,640 | 7,700 | 5.36 | 1.08 |
| 26 | South Dakota profile | $22.79 | $47,410 | $37,780 | $61,080 | 1,940 | 4.24 | 0.85 |
| 27 | Vermont profile | $22.78 | $47,380 | $39,040 | $61,290 | 950 | 3.13 | 0.63 |
| 28 | Connecticut profile | $22.69 | $47,190 | $38,790 | $71,860 | 3,780 | 2.23 | 0.45 |
| 29 | Virginia profile | $22.56 | $46,920 | $37,250 | $62,260 | 19,320 | 4.70 | 0.94 |
| 30 | Massachusetts profile | $22.52 | $46,850 | $39,850 | $57,410 | 8,390 | 2.31 | 0.46 |
| 31 | Nebraska profile | $22.46 | $46,730 | $37,020 | $59,100 | 5,020 | 4.90 | 0.98 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $22.42 | $46,630 | $35,540 | $70,840 | 11,270 | 5.64 | 1.13 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $22.40 | $46,600 | $36,400 | $59,840 | 2,560 | 2.98 | 0.60 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | $22.33 | $46,450 | $37,960 | $63,660 | 42,360 | 7.63 | 1.53 |
| 35 | New Jersey profile | $22.16 | $46,100 | $36,680 | $65,820 | 21,790 | 5.08 | 1.02 |
| 36 | Indiana profile | $21.95 | $45,650 | $37,250 | $61,630 | 23,090 | 7.21 | 1.45 |
| 37 | Maryland profile | $21.94 | $45,630 | $39,320 | $61,040 | 13,740 | 4.97 | 1.00 |
| 38 | Texas profile | $21.85 | $45,450 | $34,300 | $59,780 | 88,780 | 6.31 | 1.27 |
| 39 | Nevada profile | $21.75 | $45,230 | $37,560 | $66,950 | 7,300 | 4.70 | 0.94 |
| 40 | Michigan profile | $21.74 | $45,220 | $37,200 | $71,150 | 23,470 | 5.33 | 1.07 |
| 41 | Missouri profile | $21.73 | $45,190 | $36,240 | $64,620 | 11,470 | 3.91 | 0.78 |
| 42 | Rhode Island profile | $21.64 | $45,010 | $38,960 | $58,330 | 780 | 1.55 | 0.31 |
| 43 | Alabama profile | $21.58 | $44,880 | $33,290 | $60,750 | 15,360 | 7.27 | 1.46 |
| 44 | Oklahoma profile | $21.49 | $44,700 | $35,400 | $60,120 | 7,850 | 4.60 | 0.92 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $21.05 | $43,780 | $33,890 | $57,260 | 10,850 | 8.32 | 1.67 |
| 46 | South Carolina profile | $21.00 | $43,680 | $35,780 | $56,980 | 14,210 | 6.16 | 1.24 |
| 47 | Mississippi profile | $20.88 | $43,420 | $32,390 | $51,260 | 9,640 | 8.29 | 1.66 |
| 48 | North Carolina profile | $20.88 | $43,420 | $35,940 | $56,000 | 26,830 | 5.43 | 1.09 |
| 49 | Georgia profile | $20.78 | $43,210 | $36,690 | $59,860 | 50,260 | 10.28 | 2.06 |
| 50 | Tennessee profile | $20.24 | $42,100 | $35,520 | $54,660 | 20,070 | 6.12 | 1.23 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $20.03 | $41,670 | $28,700 | $54,920 | 1,400 | 1.99 | 0.40 |
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-7051 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-7051, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-7051.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.