Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (Major Group)
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations comprises the following occupations:
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors;
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors;
Commercial Pilots;
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers;
Airfield Operations Specialists;
Air Traffic Controllers;
Flight Attendants;
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians;
Driver/Sales Workers;
Light Truck Drivers;
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers;
Taxi Drivers;
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity;
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs;
Bus Drivers, School;
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other;
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers;
Locomotive Engineers;
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers;
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters;
Subway and Streetcar Operators;
Rail Transportation Workers, All Other;
Sailors and Marine Oilers;
Motorboat Operators;
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels;
Ship Engineers;
Bridge and Lock Tenders;
Parking Attendants;
Aircraft Service Attendants;
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants;
Traffic Technicians;
Transportation Inspectors;
Passenger Attendants;
Transportation Workers, All Other;
Conveyor Operators and Tenders;
Crane and Tower Operators;
Dredge Operators;
Hoist and Winch Operators;
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators;
Machine Feeders and Offbearers;
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment;
Packers and Packagers, Hand;
Stockers and Order Fillers;
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand;
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators;
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers;
Wellhead Pumpers;
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors;
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders;
Material Moving Workers, All Other
National estimates for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Industry profile for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Geographic profile for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
National estimates for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 13,752,760 |
0.1 % |
$ 22.45 |
$ 46,690 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.07 |
$ 16.60 |
$ 19.26 |
$ 24.46 |
$ 32.46 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 29,270 |
$ 34,520 |
$ 40,050 |
$ 50,880 |
$ 67,510 |
Industry profile for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Warehousing and Storage |
1,441,820 |
75.38 |
$ 22.07 |
$ 45,900 |
| Truck Transportation |
1,179,430 |
74.75 |
$ 27.03 |
$ 56,210 |
| General Merchandise Retailers |
1,060,910 |
33.00 |
$ 17.79 |
$ 36,990 |
| Employment Services |
854,700 |
22.79 |
$ 17.24 |
$ 35,860 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) |
843,530 |
27.79 |
$ 16.55 |
$ 34,420 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services |
802,100 |
86.19 |
$ 25.45 |
$ 52,940 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
136,090 |
78.22 |
$ 20.63 |
$ 42,910 |
| Inland Water Transportation |
19,700 |
75.93 |
$ 40.63 |
$ 84,520 |
| Warehousing and Storage |
1,441,820 |
75.38 |
$ 22.07 |
$ 45,900 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
147,960 |
74.90 |
$ 23.35 |
$ 48,560 |
Top paying industries for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities |
900 |
0.08 |
$ 60.04 |
$ 124,880 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation |
28,730 |
49.25 |
$ 56.19 |
$ 116,880 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation |
305,590 |
63.88 |
$ 56.16 |
$ 116,810 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
52,660 |
2.46 |
$ 47.96 |
$ 99,750 |
| Technical and Trade Schools |
6,640 |
4.60 |
$ 41.89 |
$ 87,140 |
Geographic profile for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
1,554,090 |
86.60 |
0.96 |
$ 24.04 |
$ 50,010 |
| Texas |
1,271,220 |
93.76 |
1.04 |
$ 21.81 |
$ 45,360 |
| Florida |
817,610 |
85.45 |
0.94 |
$ 21.41 |
$ 44,530 |
| New York |
643,220 |
68.48 |
0.76 |
$ 26.00 |
$ 54,070 |
| Illinois |
635,450 |
105.70 |
1.17 |
$ 23.70 |
$ 49,290 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kentucky |
233,730 |
119.06 |
1.31 |
$ 23.30 |
$ 48,470 |
| Indiana |
370,870 |
117.48 |
1.30 |
$ 21.43 |
$ 44,580 |
| Tennessee |
371,560 |
115.42 |
1.27 |
$ 20.70 |
$ 43,060 |
| New Jersey |
475,040 |
113.05 |
1.25 |
$ 22.76 |
$ 47,340 |
| Georgia |
534,550 |
112.35 |
1.24 |
$ 22.26 |
$ 46,310 |
Top paying states for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
28,840 |
92.54 |
1.02 |
$ 31.36 |
$ 65,220 |
| Hawaii |
50,250 |
81.45 |
0.90 |
$ 28.95 |
$ 60,220 |
| Washington |
285,510 |
81.68 |
0.90 |
$ 27.17 |
$ 56,510 |
| New York |
643,220 |
68.48 |
0.76 |
$ 26.00 |
$ 54,070 |
| District of Columbia |
16,750 |
23.86 |
0.26 |
$ 25.36 |
$ 52,750 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
755,900 |
79.61 |
0.88 |
$ 25.94 |
$ 53,960 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
516,960 |
83.58 |
0.92 |
$ 24.23 |
$ 50,410 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
497,550 |
110.40 |
1.22 |
$ 24.48 |
$ 50,910 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
412,270 |
103.94 |
1.15 |
$ 23.20 |
$ 48,250 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
317,700 |
112.75 |
1.24 |
$ 24.06 |
$ 50,040 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
305,780 |
96.17 |
1.06 |
$ 22.79 |
$ 47,410 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
267,890 |
161.20 |
1.78 |
$ 23.54 |
$ 48,950 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
252,940 |
89.39 |
0.99 |
$ 22.89 |
$ 47,610 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
239,610 |
88.04 |
0.97 |
$ 24.02 |
$ 49,960 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
199,140 |
86.99 |
0.96 |
$ 22.75 |
$ 47,320 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA |
57,370 |
206.36 |
2.28 |
$ 23.80 |
$ 49,500 |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA |
10,820 |
187.50 |
2.07 |
$ 21.27 |
$ 44,240 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR |
106,230 |
169.88 |
1.88 |
$ 21.93 |
$ 45,620 |
| Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ |
10,410 |
167.48 |
1.85 |
$ 19.97 |
$ 41,530 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL |
42,440 |
165.32 |
1.83 |
$ 20.00 |
$ 41,600 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA |
40,800 |
162.64 |
1.80 |
$ 20.93 |
$ 43,520 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
267,890 |
161.20 |
1.78 |
$ 23.54 |
$ 48,950 |
| Lebanon, PA |
8,120 |
155.18 |
1.71 |
$ 19.81 |
$ 41,200 |
| Danville, IL |
3,990 |
153.54 |
1.70 |
$ 22.21 |
$ 46,190 |
| Cleveland, TN |
6,700 |
149.49 |
1.65 |
$ 19.14 |
$ 39,800 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Anchorage, AK |
17,190 |
101.19 |
1.12 |
$ 32.95 |
$ 68,540 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
35,910 |
81.86 |
0.90 |
$ 31.49 |
$ 65,490 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
160,700 |
77.29 |
0.85 |
$ 30.46 |
$ 63,360 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
11,750 |
145.79 |
1.61 |
$ 28.87 |
$ 60,050 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
162,530 |
67.10 |
0.74 |
$ 28.53 |
$ 59,350 |
| Fairbanks, AK |
2,910 |
82.49 |
0.91 |
$ 26.77 |
$ 55,690 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN |
92,810 |
139.56 |
1.54 |
$ 26.28 |
$ 54,660 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
129,510 |
81.43 |
0.90 |
$ 26.22 |
$ 54,540 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
755,900 |
79.61 |
0.88 |
$ 25.94 |
$ 53,960 |
| Boulder, CO |
7,290 |
37.49 |
0.41 |
$ 25.72 |
$ 53,500 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
37,460 |
96.38 |
1.06 |
$ 20.08 |
$ 41,770 |
| North Georgia nonmetropolitan area |
32,340 |
168.20 |
1.86 |
$ 19.12 |
$ 39,780 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
31,070 |
95.53 |
1.05 |
$ 20.06 |
$ 41,720 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
29,420 |
115.27 |
1.27 |
$ 18.76 |
$ 39,020 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area |
28,520 |
114.61 |
1.27 |
$ 21.01 |
$ 43,700 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| North Georgia nonmetropolitan area |
32,340 |
168.20 |
1.86 |
$ 19.12 |
$ 39,780 |
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area |
11,540 |
131.77 |
1.46 |
$ 19.12 |
$ 39,770 |
| Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area |
19,590 |
131.66 |
1.45 |
$ 17.42 |
$ 36,230 |
| Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area |
24,700 |
131.56 |
1.45 |
$ 21.29 |
$ 44,290 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
14,240 |
127.99 |
1.41 |
$ 19.47 |
$ 40,500 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska nonmetropolitan area |
8,520 |
82.76 |
0.91 |
$ 29.58 |
$ 61,520 |
| West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area |
14,410 |
126.11 |
1.39 |
$ 27.39 |
$ 56,970 |
| Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area |
7,560 |
75.95 |
0.84 |
$ 24.22 |
$ 50,380 |
| East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area |
6,110 |
98.14 |
1.08 |
$ 23.70 |
$ 49,290 |
| Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area |
6,980 |
83.27 |
0.92 |
$ 23.58 |
$ 49,050 |
About May 2023 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.
(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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
