Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salary in Kentucky
At $46,630 a year, the median for industrial truck and tractor operators in Kentucky is close to the national median of $46,420 (0%); Kentucky ranks 32nd of 51 states by median. That is about the same as the median across all occupations in Kentucky ($46,920). Among neighbouring states, Illinois and Virginia pay more (up to $47,720 in Illinois) and Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia pay less (down to $41,670 in West Virginia). Kentucky employs 11,270 industrial truck and tractor operators, 5.64 per 1,000 jobs, the 22nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.13 is close to the national share.
Kentucky vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $17.09 | $18.66 | $22.42 | $28.59 | $34.06 | $23.86 | 11,270 | 5.64 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $35,540 | $38,820 | $46,630 | $59,470 | $70,840 | $49,630 | ||||
| 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
- 32nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 22nd of 50 states
- Location quotient
- 1.13
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.64
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Kentucky'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 Kentucky
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owensboro, KY | $24.04 | $50,010 | $37,300 | $63,360 | 240 | 4.82 | 0.97 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $23.56 | $49,000 | $37,920 | $73,440 | 6,920 | 6.29 | 1.26 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | $23.13 | $48,100 | $35,930 | $57,480 | 170 | 3.25 | 0.65 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $22.83 | $47,490 | $36,880 | $74,510 | 1,150 | 4.01 | 0.81 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $22.21 | $46,190 | $37,720 | $63,950 | 4,230 | 6.17 | 1.24 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $21.59 | $44,910 | $36,440 | $61,110 | 590 | 5.71 | 1.15 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $20.55 | $42,740 | $32,470 | $54,920 | 260 | 1.84 | 0.37 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $18.97 | $39,460 | $32,520 | $62,040 | 100 | 2.01 | 0.40 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $18.80 | $39,110 | $33,640 | $57,580 | 620 | 7.53 | 1.51 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $24.33 | $50,610 | $34,170 | $70,310 | 1,630 | 9.49 | 1.90 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $22.27 | $46,320 | $32,150 | $70,070 | 100 | 1.13 | 0.23 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $21.83 | $45,400 | $34,770 | $65,060 | 790 | 6.16 | 1.24 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $21.81 | $45,360 | $34,400 | $61,520 | 830 | 4.78 | 0.96 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $22.42 | $46,630 | 11,270 | 1.13 |
| Illinois | $22.94 | $47,720 | 29,450 | 0.97 |
| Indiana | $21.95 | $45,650 | 23,090 | 1.45 |
| Missouri | $21.73 | $45,190 | 11,470 | 0.78 |
| Ohio | $22.33 | $46,450 | 42,360 | 1.53 |
| Tennessee | $20.24 | $42,100 | 20,070 | 1.23 |
| Virginia | $22.56 | $46,920 | 19,320 | 0.94 |
| West Virginia | $20.03 | $41,670 | 1,400 | 0.40 |
See the national page for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators (every state ranked) and the Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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.