Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salary in California
The median for industrial truck and tractor operators in California is $47,770 a year, somewhat above the national $46,420 (+3%); the state ranks 19th of 51 states by median. That is 18% less than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). Among neighbouring states, Oregon and Arizona pay more (up to $50,760 in Oregon) and Nevada pays less (down to $45,230 in Nevada). California employs 89,620 industrial truck and tractor operators, 4.92 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.99 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 19th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 50 states
- Location quotient
- 0.99
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.92
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for industrial truck and tractor operators, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $30.03 | $62,460 | $42,840 | $64,630 | 1,070 | 7.40 | 1.49 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $28.48 | $59,240 | $44,890 | $76,510 | 7,530 | 3.17 | 0.64 |
| Modesto, CA | $26.83 | $55,810 | $38,870 | $63,330 | 2,350 | 12.05 | 2.42 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $26.17 | $54,440 | $45,040 | $73,860 | 2,130 | 1.88 | 0.38 |
| Napa, CA | $25.39 | $52,800 | $43,950 | $76,610 | 530 | 6.78 | 1.36 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $23.22 | $48,290 | $39,160 | $63,100 | 5,810 | 20.05 | 4.02 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $23.00 | $47,850 | $39,300 | $59,530 | 24,180 | 14.08 | 2.83 |
| Redding, CA | $22.95 | $47,740 | $36,410 | $62,870 | 160 | 2.21 | 0.44 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $22.87 | $47,570 | $39,320 | $62,580 | 3,150 | 2.92 | 0.59 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $22.58 | $46,970 | $42,170 | $63,330 | 670 | 3.28 | 0.66 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $22.41 | $46,600 | $38,460 | $63,330 | 22,170 | 3.54 | 0.71 |
| Visalia, CA | $22.40 | $46,590 | $36,400 | $59,030 | 1,730 | 10.11 | 2.03 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $22.37 | $46,530 | $39,660 | $60,060 | 270 | 2.79 | 0.56 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $22.29 | $46,370 | $38,520 | $63,330 | 3,890 | 2.53 | 0.51 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $22.14 | $46,050 | $37,220 | $65,630 | 270 | 5.53 | 1.11 |
| Chico, CA | $22.03 | $45,820 | $37,790 | $62,630 | 240 | 3.02 | 0.61 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $21.68 | $45,100 | $38,300 | $64,850 | 210 | 1.70 | 0.34 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $21.62 | $44,980 | $36,840 | $59,410 | 2,370 | 7.01 | 1.41 |
| Yuba City, CA | $21.50 | $44,720 | $38,910 | $56,010 | 280 | 5.54 | 1.11 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $21.41 | $44,540 | $37,860 | $58,360 | 1,200 | 3.70 | 0.74 |
| Merced, CA | $21.41 | $44,520 | $35,770 | $62,660 | 720 | 9.08 | 1.82 |
| Salinas, CA | $20.85 | $43,370 | $38,100 | $50,730 | 1,290 | 6.94 | 1.39 |
| Fresno, CA | $20.85 | $43,360 | $36,390 | $62,850 | 3,220 | 6.76 | 1.36 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $20.55 | $42,740 | $37,820 | $62,160 | 570 | 2.86 | 0.57 |
| El Centro, CA | $19.06 | $39,650 | $36,280 | $60,110 | 340 | 5.27 | 1.06 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $24.92 | $51,820 | $40,490 | $64,630 | 230 | 2.06 | 0.41 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $24.88 | $51,750 | $39,160 | $58,120 | 810 | 7.73 | 1.55 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $22.73 | $47,270 | $38,540 | $64,580 | 80 | 1.20 | 0.24 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- 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.