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Tank car, truck and ship loaders: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$58,870median pay per year, or $28.30 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $39,460lowest 10% earn less
  2. $46,30025th percentile
  3. $58,870median
  4. $70,06075th percentile
  5. $83,160top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

Tank car, truck and ship loaders earned a median of $58,870 a year in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. Employment is projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+2.8%[3]
Openings per year
1,300[5]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[6]

How much do tank car, truck and ship loaders make?

The median wage was $58,870 a year, or $28.30 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $59,970 a year, or $28.83 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[2].

Here is the spread of annual pay:

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[4][8] $39,460 $18.97
25th[4][8] $46,300 $22.26
Median[1] $58,870 $28.30
75th[4][8] $70,060 $33.69
90th[4][8] $83,160 $39.98

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,460, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $83,160[4]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[9]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits[10]. About 10,700 people held these wage and salary jobs[11]. Another measure found that 14.8% of workers were self-employed in 2025[12].

Pay by state and city

Maryland had the highest state median at $81,320, based on 110 jobs[13]. South Carolina followed at $80,700 and Montana at $80,070[13]. Arkansas had the lowest listed median at $33,800[13].

Texas had the most jobs at 1,620, then Ohio at 820 and Louisiana at 500[14]. Among metro areas, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX had the highest median at $76,850, followed by New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $64,890[15]. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area had the most jobs at 1,460, with a median of $61,420[16].

Show median pay in 35 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Maryland[13]$81,320110
South Carolina$80,70090
Montana$80,07080
Minnesota$76,620n/a
Alabama$75,450240
Oregon$74,040n/a
Massachusetts$71,750140
New Hampshire$70,03040
California$68,600110
New Jersey$64,890120
North Dakota$61,210310
Texas$61,1701,620
Louisiana$58,900500
Michigan$57,900200
Missouri$57,750180
Ohio$57,700820
Wisconsin$57,250170
West Virginia$54,75090
Utah$53,370n/a
Kentucky$53,160130
Iowa$51,450180
Colorado$51,20080
Georgia$51,16050
New York$48,220110
Pennsylvania$48,12090
New Mexico$48,01080
Nebraska$46,300n/a
Florida$45,540430
Hawaii$45,240n/a
North Carolina$44,910240
Indiana$44,310250
Idaho$41,70080
Virginia$41,19060
Oklahoma$35,360170
Arkansas$33,800150

How to become a tank car, truck or ship loader

The typical path looks like this[6]:

In an ONET survey of 27 workers, 81% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required, and 12% said less than a high school diploma[17]. That is a small survey. ONET puts the job in a zone where little to some preparation is needed[18]. The facts here do not say how long training takes or whether any license is required.

What loaders do

O*NET describes the job as loading and unloading chemicals and bulk solids such as coal, sand and grain into or out of tank cars, trucks or ships, using material moving equipment[19]. Workers may also gauge or sample tanks and test them for leaks[19]. Typical tasks include[20]:

O*NET sample titles include rail car loader, tank car loader and loader operator[21].

Job outlook

Employment is projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 12,800 to 13,200 jobs, a change of 400[3]. For all occupations, the projected rate is 3.5%[22]. These counts include self-employed workers[3].

About 1,300 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings include jobs left by workers who retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.8% of workers leave the labor force and 6% move to a different occupation[23].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show pay above the all-occupation median at $58,870[1][2]. Entry typically needs no formal credential and short-term on-the-job training[6]. Growth is a little below the all-occupation rate[3][22]. The field is small, and pay differs a lot by state, so local numbers matter[11][13].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[24].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a tank car, truck or ship loader make an hour?
The median was $28.30 an hour in May 2025[1]. The 10th percentile was $18.97 and the 90th was $39.98[8].
What education do you need to be a tank car, truck or ship loader?
No formal educational credential is typically needed[6]. In an O*NET survey of 27 workers, 81% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required[17].
Is the loader job in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, and about 1,300 openings a year are projected[3][5].
What is the highest paying state for tank car, truck and ship loaders?
Maryland, with a median of $81,320[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders in the US was $58,870 per year and $28.30 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders is projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 12,800 to 13,200 jobs (a change of +400). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders: 10th percentile $39,460, 25th percentile $46,300, 75th percentile $70,060, 90th percentile $83,160. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,300 openings for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders was $59,970 per year and $28.83 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders: 10th percentile $18.97, 25th percentile $22.26, 75th percentile $33.69, 90th percentile $39.98. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 10,700 people were employed as Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS Employment Projections: 14.8% of Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  13. Median annual wage for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders jobs: Texas 1,620; Ohio 820; Louisiana 500; Florida 430; Mississippi 320. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders (areas with at least 100 jobs): Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $76,850; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $64,890; New Orleans-Metairie, LA $62,200; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $61,420; Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $61,220; St. Louis, MO-IL $60,950; Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $50,380; Baton Rouge, LA $49,700. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders jobs: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,460 (median $61,420); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 970 (median $61,220); St. Louis, MO-IL 320 (median $60,950); New Orleans-Metairie, LA 210 (median $62,200); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 200 (median $76,850); Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 120 (median $50,380). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 53-7121.00 survey of workers (27 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 81%, Less than a High School Diploma 12% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET 53-7121.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET description of Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders. O*NET OnLine
  20. O*NET task list for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders. O*NET OnLine
  21. O*NET 53-7121.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Load Out Person, Loader, Loader Operator, Loading Operator, Oil Movements Operator, PVC Loader (Polyvinyl Chloride Loader), Rail Car Loader, Tank Car Loader. O*NET OnLine
  22. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  23. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders: 3.8% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  24. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.