Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2012

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

This major group comprises the following occupations: Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers ; Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ; First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand ; First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators ; Air Transportation Workers ; Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers ; Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ; Commercial Pilots ; Air Traffic Controllers and Airfield Operations Specialists ; Air Traffic Controllers ; Airfield Operations Specialists ; Flight Attendants ; Motor Vehicle Operators ; Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians ; Bus Drivers ; Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity ; Bus Drivers, School or Special Client ; Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers ; Driver/Sales Workers ; Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ; Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers ; Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs ; Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other ; Rail Transportation Workers ; Locomotive Engineers and Operators ; 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 ; Water Transportation Workers ; Sailors and Marine Oilers ; Ship and Boat Captains and Operators ; Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels ; Motorboat Operators ; Ship Engineers ; Other Transportation Workers ; 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 ; Material Moving Workers ; Conveyor Operators and Tenders ; Crane and Tower Operators ; Dredge, Excavating, and Loading Machine Operators ; Dredge Operators ; Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators ; Loading Machine Operators, Underground Mining ; Hoist and Winch Operators ; Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators ; Laborers and Material Movers, Hand ; Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment ; Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand ; Machine Feeders and Offbearers ; Packers and Packagers, Hand ; Pumping Station Operators ; 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)
8,771,690 0.3 % $16.15 $33,590 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this major group:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.56 $10.06 $13.92 $19.41 $26.83
Annual Wage (2) $17,800 $20,930 $28,960 $40,380 $55,810

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)
General Freight Trucking 712,910 77.59 $19.61 $40,800
Employment Services 611,310 19.62 $11.18 $23,250
Warehousing and Storage 398,670 58.79 $15.97 $33,210
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 344,670 72.07 $21.71 $45,160
Specialized Freight Trucking 309,400 74.49 $18.22 $37,900

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
School and Employee Bus Transportation 171,860 86.01 $14.81 $30,810
Charter Bus Industry 23,820 78.37 $14.17 $29,460
General Freight Trucking 712,910 77.59 $19.61 $40,800
Inland Water Transportation 18,610 76.62 $26.03 $54,150
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 67,280 76.07 $13.07 $27,190

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) 54,460 2.67 $41.08 $85,440
Scheduled Air Transportation 184,840 44.23 $33.36 $69,380
Technical and Trade Schools 5,580 3.60 $31.05 $64,590
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 21,670 52.89 $30.61 $63,660
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 21,840 55.13 $29.08 $60,490

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 906,690 63.39 0.94 $16.43 $34,170
Texas 727,310 68.75 1.02 $15.67 $32,600
New York 442,730 51.83 0.77 $18.58 $38,640
Illinois 442,390 78.43 1.16 $16.60 $34,520
Florida 423,830 58.27 0.87 $15.23 $31,670




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)
North Dakota 38,090 94.44 1.40 $18.79 $39,090
Tennessee 242,840 91.39 1.36 $14.99 $31,170
Arkansas 105,010 90.92 1.35 $14.68 $30,540
Kentucky 159,510 90.39 1.34 $16.36 $34,030
Nebraska 80,580 88.08 1.31 $15.63 $32,510




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 24,490 76.85 1.14 $23.96 $49,830
Wyoming 23,160 83.30 1.24 $20.36 $42,360
District of Columbia 13,980 21.38 0.32 $19.41 $40,370
North Dakota 38,090 94.44 1.40 $18.79 $39,090
New York 442,730 51.83 0.77 $18.58 $38,640





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)
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 283,230 77.80 1.16 $17.14 $35,640
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 277,830 71.77 1.07 $16.21 $33,710
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 266,860 51.74 0.77 $19.69 $40,960
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 192,230 72.80 1.08 $17.53 $36,470
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 177,390 78.43 1.16 $17.91 $37,260
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 145,250 69.26 1.03 $15.63 $32,510
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 106,280 91.60 1.36 $16.10 $33,490
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 106,100 61.33 0.91 $17.35 $36,080
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 99,470 54.56 0.81 $16.96 $35,280
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 96,900 55.38 0.82 $17.87 $37,160