Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salary
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 774K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$46,420
Median hourly
$22
Average annual
$48,370
Typical range
$36,840–$62,520
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators is $46,420 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 $22 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location..
Most earn between $36,840 and $62,520 a year. There are roughly 774K people employed as industrial truck and tractor operators 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 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators.
- Hourly
- $22.32
- Daily
- $179
- Weekly
- $893
- Bi-weekly
- $1,785
- Monthly
- $3,868
- Annual
- $46,420
$46,420 a year is around the 50th percentile for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operatorss. The median is $46,420.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$83,720
- 2New Mexico$62,150
- 3Delaware$60,350
- 4Wyoming$59,820
- 5New Hampshire$54,460
- 6Alaska$54,190
- 7Hawaii$53,640
- 8Oregon$50,760
- 9Colorado$50,570
- 10Washington$49,910
- 11Minnesota$49,740
- 12North Dakota$49,260
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Flint, MI$78,530
- 2Kahului-Wailuku, HI$66,350
- 3Cheyenne, WY$62,520
- 4Vallejo, CA$62,460
- 5Albuquerque, NM$62,150
- 6Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$59,850
- 7San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$59,240
- 8Anchorage, AK$58,910
- 9Kenosha, WI$58,110
- 10Fort Collins-Loveland, CO$57,140
- 11Lewiston-Auburn, ME$57,000
- 12Modesto, CA$55,810
Related job titles
Employers advertise Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators roles under these titles.
- Carry All Driver
- CAT Driver (Caterpillar Driver)
- CAT Operator (Caterpillar Operator)
- CAT Skinner (Caterpillar Skinner)
- CAT Tender (Caterpillar Tender)
- CAT Tractor Operator (Caterpillar Tractor Operator)
- Charging Car Operator
- Checker Loader
- Diesel Tractor Operator
- Dolly Driver
- Drier Transfer Car Operator
- Electric Car Operator
- Electric Dolly Operator
- Electric Lift Truck Driver
- Electric Mule Driver
- Electric Mule Operator
Related occupations
- Hoist and Winch Operators$56,450
- Crane and Tower Operators$68,080
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining$74,500
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$58,870
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Riggers$62,640
- Pile Driver Operators$73,300
What a Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators does
- Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
- Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
- Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
- Move levers or controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams with swivel-hooks, hoists, or elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, or stack material.
- Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators is $46,420 ($22 per hour). Pay ranges from about $36,840 at the 10th percentile to $62,520 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $48,370, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Industrial Truck and Tractor Operatorss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $83,720.
- Is Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 774K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators do?
- Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.; Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.; Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles..