How much does a Bridge and Lock Tenders make?

The median annual wage for Bridge and Lock Tenders is $57,700 ($28 per hour). Pay ranges from about $28,090 at the 10th percentile to $75,360 at the 90th percentile.

What is the average salary for a Bridge and Lock Tenders?

The average (mean) annual salary is $55,370, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.

Which state pays Bridge and Lock Tenderss the most?

Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $78,020.

Is Bridge and Lock Tenders a growing occupation?

BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 3.0K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.

What does a Bridge and Lock Tenders do?

Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges.; Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers.; Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces..

Bridge and Lock Tenders Salary

Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 3.0K employed in the U.S.

Median annual

$57,700

Median hourly

$28

Average annual

$55,370

Typical range

$28,090–$75,360

Pay distribution

10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.

10th$28,090

25th$38,640

Median$57,700

75th$69,620

90th$75,360

What this role pays

The median annual salary for Bridge and Lock Tenders is $57,700 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $28 an hour at a full-time schedule.

Operate and tend bridges, canal locks, and lighthouses to permit marine passage on inland waterways, near shores, and at danger points in waterway passages. May supervise such operations.

Most earn between $28,090 and $75,360 a year. There are roughly 3.0K people employed as bridge and lock tenders in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.

Salary calculator

Convert your pay and see where it lands for Bridge and Lock Tenders.

Pay amountPay period

Hours / weekWeeks / year

Hourly: $27.74
Daily: $222
Weekly: $1,110
Bi-weekly: $2,219
Monthly: $4,808
Annual: $57,700

$57,700 a year is around the 50th percentile for Bridge and Lock Tenderss. The median is $57,700.

Bridge and Lock Tenders — U.S., May 2025
Percentile	Hourly	Annual
10th percentile	$13.50	$28,090
25th percentile	$18.60	$38,640
Median	$27.70	$57,700
75th percentile	$33.50	$69,620
90th percentile	$36.20	$75,360
Average (mean)	$26.60	$55,370
Employment	3,040 people

Key skills

Monitoring
Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Coordination
Operations Monitoring
Operation and Control
Judgment and Decision Making
Reading Comprehension
Writing

Highest-paying states

Median annual wage by state.

1Washington$78,020
2Mississippi$74,730
3Minnesota$74,420
4Missouri$74,110
5California$72,390
6Illinois$70,890
7Iowa$70,890
8Pennsylvania$68,810
9Alabama$66,830
10West Virginia$65,460
11Indiana$60,780
12Tennessee$60,420

Top-paying metro areas

Median annual wage by metro area.

1Lafayette, LA$75,340
2St. Louis, MO-IL$74,480
3Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$73,110
4Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$70,890
5Baton Rouge, LA$69,970
6Pittsburgh, PA$68,810
7New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$54,720
8Cleveland, OH$44,500
9New Orleans-Metairie, LA$39,110
10Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$35,000

Related job titles

Employers advertise Bridge and Lock Tenders roles under these titles.

Related occupations

What a Bridge and Lock Tenders does

Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges.
Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers.
Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces.
Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges.
Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass.
Move levers to activate traffic signals, navigation lights, and alarms.
Write and submit maintenance work requisitions.
Log data, such as water levels and weather conditions.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Bridge and Lock Tenders make?: The median annual wage for Bridge and Lock Tenders is $57,700 ($28 per hour). Pay ranges from about $28,090 at the 10th percentile to $75,360 at the 90th percentile.
What is the average salary for a Bridge and Lock Tenders?: The average (mean) annual salary is $55,370, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Which state pays Bridge and Lock Tenderss the most?: Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $78,020.
Is Bridge and Lock Tenders a growing occupation?: BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 3.0K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
What does a Bridge and Lock Tenders do?: Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges.; Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers.; Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces..