Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (Major Group)

This major group comprises the following occupations: Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ; First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ; Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ; Commercial Pilots ; Air Traffic Controllers ; Airfield Operations Specialists ; Flight Attendants ; Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians ; Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity ; Bus Drivers, School or Special Client ; Driver/Sales Workers ; Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ; Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers ; Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs ; Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other ; Locomotive Engineers ; Locomotive Firers ; Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers ; Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators ; Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters ; Subway and Streetcar Operators ; Rail Transportation Workers, All Other ; Sailors and Marine Oilers ; Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels ; Motorboat Operators ; Ship Engineers ; Bridge and Lock Tenders ; Parking Lot Attendants ; Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants ; Traffic Technicians ; Transportation Inspectors ; Transportation Attendants, Except Flight Attendants ; Transportation Workers, All Other ; Conveyor Operators and Tenders ; Crane and Tower Operators ; Dredge Operators ; Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators ; Loading Machine Operators, Underground Mining ; Hoist and Winch Operators ; Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators ; Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment ; Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand ; Machine Feeders and Offbearers ; Packers and Packagers, Hand ; Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators ; Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers ; Wellhead Pumpers ; Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors ; Mine Shuttle Car Operators ; Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders ; Material Moving Workers, All Other


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this major group:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
9,978,390 0.3 % $17.82 $37,070 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this major group:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.55 $11.36 $15.19 $21.31 $29.05
Annual Wage (2) $19,860 $23,630 $31,600 $44,310 $60,420


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Truck Transportation 1,101,070 76.05 $21.16 $44,010
Employment Services 842,150 23.44 $12.97 $26,970
Warehousing and Storage 630,420 62.65 $17.09 $35,540
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 511,250 85.90 $19.84 $41,270
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 368,530 38.97 $18.08 $37,610

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 511,250 85.90 $19.84 $41,270
School and Employee Bus Transportation 171,960 80.02 $16.47 $34,250
Charter Bus Industry 23,460 78.34 $15.96 $33,200
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 81,090 76.21 $14.49 $30,140
Truck Transportation 1,101,070 76.05 $21.16 $44,010

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 50,450 2.49 $43.06 $89,560
Scheduled Air Transportation 254,020 57.92 $39.98 $83,160
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 19,590 44.51 $37.54 $78,080
Technical and Trade Schools 5,420 4.05 $36.56 $76,030
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 23,170 64.18 $33.29 $69,250


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 1,120,230 67.10 0.96 $18.26 $37,970
Texas 852,610 71.70 1.02 $18.58 $38,640
Florida 525,490 62.42 0.89 $16.89 $35,130
New York 502,440 54.57 0.78 $19.88 $41,350
Illinois 479,920 80.96 1.16 $18.17 $37,800




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kentucky 174,810 93.16 1.33 $17.46 $36,320
Tennessee 270,020 92.61 1.32 $16.26 $33,810
New Jersey 354,270 88.40 1.26 $17.93 $37,300
North Dakota 36,740 88.18 1.26 $21.67 $45,080
Arkansas 105,670 88.05 1.26 $15.92 $33,110




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 23,550 74.02 1.06 $27.04 $56,240
Hawaii 40,950 64.69 0.92 $22.44 $46,680
District of Columbia 14,970 21.14 0.30 $22.08 $45,920
North Dakota 36,740 88.18 1.26 $21.67 $45,080
Wyoming 22,180 82.77 1.18 $21.60 $44,930



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 408,420 61.01 0.87 $19.70 $40,980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 324,250 73.18 1.05 $18.30 $38,060
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 294,560 80.43 1.15 $18.75 $39,010
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 217,440 83.01 1.19 $17.50 $36,390
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 212,210 72.44 1.03 $19.78 $41,130
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 189,390 76.01 1.09 $18.23 $37,920
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 155,890 108.62 1.55 $17.49 $36,380
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 120,890 61.06 0.87 $18.64 $38,770
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 116,710 70.85 1.01 $22.68 $47,170
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 116,440 60.26 0.86 $19.48 $40,530


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA 8,580 150.69 2.15 $17.60 $36,600
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 87,600 141.75 2.03 $16.28 $33,860
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 11,380 135.49 1.94 $24.35 $50,660
Dalton, GA 8,370 127.04 1.81 $13.82 $28,750
Stockton-Lodi, CA 30,490 125.63 1.79 $19.00 $39,520
Lebanon, PA 6,080 124.48 1.78 $16.18 $33,650
Staunton-Waynesboro, VA 5,600 117.31 1.68 $18.98 $39,470
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 29,830 115.72 1.65 $16.71 $34,750
Joplin, MO 8,930 114.39 1.63 $16.93 $35,210
York-Hanover, PA 20,320 112.82 1.61 $16.81 $34,960


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Anchorage, AK 13,450 77.56 1.11 $29.03 $60,380
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 61,770 55.33 0.79 $24.45 $50,860
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 11,380 135.49 1.94 $24.35 $50,660
Urban Honolulu, HI 29,450 63.95 0.91 $24.12 $50,160
Fairbanks, AK 2,090 57.11 0.82 $23.86 $49,620
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 116,710 70.85 1.01 $22.68 $47,170
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 97,010 97.64 1.39 $22.29 $46,370
Casper, WY 2,780 73.83 1.05 $21.60 $44,930
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 89,950 62.33 0.89 $21.02 $43,720
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 107,920 42.84 0.61 $20.93 $43,540

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 26,090 78.65 1.12 $16.65 $34,640
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 24,360 96.32 1.38 $17.39 $36,170
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 23,210 90.50 1.29 $14.29 $29,720
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 22,770 81.86 1.17 $15.30 $31,830
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 21,120 78.38 1.12 $16.69 $34,720

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Far West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 7,770 127.50 1.82 (8) (8)
Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area 7,880 113.62 1.62 $16.18 $33,660
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 19,000 113.35 1.62 $14.95 $31,090
Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area 13,760 107.60 1.54 $14.26 $29,660
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 6,870 105.91 1.51 $14.54 $30,240

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 2,600 74.45 1.06 $24.62 $51,200
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 5,100 71.67 1.02 $24.21 $50,350
West Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 5,400 95.24 1.36 $23.83 $49,560
North Nevada nonmetropolitan area 3,710 88.08 1.26 $23.46 $48,800
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 680 37.78 0.54 $23.35 $48,560


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018