Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019
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 ;
Driver/Sales Workers ;
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ;
Light Truck Drivers ;
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity ;
Passenger Vehicle Drivers, Except Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity ;
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other ;
Locomotive Engineers ;
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers ;
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 ;
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels ;
Motorboat Operators ;
Ship Engineers ;
Bridge and Lock Tenders ;
Parking Attendants ;
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants ;
Traffic Technicians ;
Transportation Inspectors ;
Passenger Attendants ;
Aircraft Service Attendants and Transportation Workers, All Other ;
Conveyor Operators and Tenders ;
Crane and Tower Operators ;
Dredge Operators ;
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 ;
Stockers and Order Fillers ;
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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation
National estimates for this occupation:
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) |
| 12,532,030 |
0.3 % |
$18.23 |
$37,920 |
0.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this major group:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$10.21 |
$12.12 |
$15.60 |
$21.45 |
$29.25 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$21,240 |
$25,220 |
$32,440 |
$44,610 |
$60,830 |
Industry profile for this occupation:
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 |
1,159,580 |
76.21 |
$22.14 |
$46,060 |
| Employment Services |
954,800 |
25.94 |
$13.97 |
$29,060 |
| Warehousing and Storage |
882,880 |
72.71 |
$17.96 |
$37,350 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) |
725,960 |
24.94 |
$13.26 |
$27,580 |
| General Merchandise Stores |
662,640 |
21.17 |
$13.24 |
$27,530 |
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 |
597,090 |
85.19 |
$20.37 |
$42,370 |
| Inland Water Transportation |
21,610 |
80.55 |
$31.60 |
$65,730 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
172,330 |
78.73 |
$18.04 |
$37,520 |
| Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation |
86,870 |
77.03 |
$15.78 |
$32,830 |
| Truck Transportation |
1,159,580 |
76.21 |
$22.14 |
$46,060 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation |
19,420 |
42.49 |
$43.55 |
$90,580 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation |
275,860 |
60.88 |
$42.45 |
$88,290 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) |
54,740 |
2.73 |
$41.68 |
$86,690 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities |
770 |
0.08 |
$38.09 |
$79,220 |
| Technical and Trade Schools |
6,330 |
4.66 |
$35.94 |
$74,760 |
Geographic profile for this occupation:
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 |
1,453,200 |
83.60 |
0.98 |
$19.03 |
$39,570 |
| Texas |
1,049,310 |
84.41 |
0.99 |
$18.46 |
$38,400 |
| Florida |
708,190 |
80.53 |
0.94 |
$17.19 |
$35,760 |
| New York |
631,580 |
66.32 |
0.78 |
$20.51 |
$42,650 |
| Illinois |
611,700 |
101.51 |
1.19 |
$19.02 |
$39,570 |
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 |
216,310 |
114.03 |
1.34 |
$17.85 |
$37,120 |
| Tennessee |
339,500 |
112.88 |
1.32 |
$16.84 |
$35,020 |
| New Jersey |
449,660 |
110.00 |
1.29 |
$18.28 |
$38,030 |
| Mississippi |
122,600 |
108.67 |
1.27 |
$16.05 |
$33,390 |
| Arkansas |
128,920 |
105.90 |
1.24 |
$16.61 |
$34,540 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
26,820 |
84.58 |
0.99 |
$27.73 |
$57,680 |
| District of Columbia |
17,530 |
24.23 |
0.28 |
$22.49 |
$46,780 |
| Hawaii |
51,190 |
80.54 |
0.94 |
$22.15 |
$46,070 |
| Washington |
263,330 |
79.35 |
0.93 |
$21.85 |
$45,440 |
| Wyoming |
25,730 |
94.14 |
1.10 |
$21.62 |
$44,960 |
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-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
753,170 |
78.01 |
0.91 |
$20.29 |
$42,200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
528,480 |
84.70 |
0.99 |
$18.98 |
$39,470 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
478,700 |
102.36 |
1.20 |
$19.31 |
$40,160 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
347,580 |
95.05 |
1.11 |
$19.88 |
$41,360 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
271,270 |
98.87 |
1.16 |
$17.55 |
$36,500 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
258,690 |
84.75 |
0.99 |
$18.88 |
$39,260 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
234,890 |
81.66 |
0.96 |
$17.56 |
$36,520 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
231,580 |
87.64 |
1.03 |
$18.51 |
$38,500 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
207,620 |
134.96 |
1.58 |
$17.96 |
$37,350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
178,230 |
72.10 |
0.84 |
$22.86 |
$47,560 |
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) |
| Cleveland, TN |
8,300 |
179.44 |
2.10 |
$15.06 |
$31,320 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR |
107,020 |
169.18 |
1.98 |
$17.15 |
$35,660 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA |
41,310 |
163.37 |
1.91 |
$18.66 |
$38,820 |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA |
8,870 |
151.00 |
1.77 |
$17.01 |
$35,370 |
| Dalton, GA |
9,480 |
147.26 |
1.73 |
$14.76 |
$30,700 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
12,250 |
143.98 |
1.69 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ |
8,730 |
143.60 |
1.68 |
$16.13 |
$33,550 |
| Lebanon, PA |
7,020 |
138.73 |
1.63 |
$15.97 |
$33,220 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV |
14,460 |
137.98 |
1.62 |
$17.11 |
$35,590 |
| Danville, IL |
3,630 |
136.74 |
1.60 |
$17.93 |
$37,290 |
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 |
15,210 |
87.15 |
1.02 |
$29.76 |
$61,890 |
| Fairbanks, AK |
2,920 |
87.26 |
1.02 |
$24.47 |
$50,900 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
158,750 |
78.55 |
0.92 |
$23.78 |
$49,460 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
36,140 |
78.98 |
0.93 |
$23.65 |
$49,190 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
178,230 |
72.10 |
0.84 |
$22.86 |
$47,560 |
| Midland, TX |
11,650 |
105.14 |
1.23 |
$21.68 |
$45,090 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
119,620 |
79.04 |
0.93 |
$21.47 |
$44,660 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA |
1,970 |
74.99 |
0.88 |
$21.15 |
$43,990 |
| Odessa, TX |
9,380 |
115.43 |
1.35 |
$20.99 |
$43,660 |
| Greeley, CO |
11,450 |
107.52 |
1.26 |
$20.95 |
$43,570 |
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) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
34,440 |
87.39 |
1.02 |
$17.05 |
$35,470 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) |
30,150 |
90.24 |
1.06 |
$16.67 |
$34,670 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area |
28,620 |
111.51 |
1.31 |
$18.24 |
$37,950 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
26,230 |
100.90 |
1.18 |
$15.55 |
$32,340 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area |
25,960 |
95.05 |
1.11 |
$16.30 |
$33,900 |
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) |
| Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area |
9,110 |
126.31 |
1.48 |
$19.44 |
$40,440 |
| Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area |
24,000 |
124.47 |
1.46 |
$16.91 |
$35,180 |
| Northwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area |
11,640 |
123.92 |
1.45 |
$14.89 |
$30,970 |
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area |
10,710 |
122.44 |
1.44 |
$15.00 |
$31,190 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area |
16,180 |
119.73 |
1.40 |
$18.88 |
$39,270 |
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) |
| Alaska nonmetropolitan area |
8,560 |
78.88 |
0.92 |
$24.97 |
$51,950 |
| West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area |
14,340 |
114.08 |
1.34 |
$24.38 |
$50,710 |
| Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area |
5,270 |
66.74 |
0.78 |
$21.74 |
$45,220 |
| Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area |
7,650 |
76.72 |
0.90 |
$21.44 |
$44,600 |
| Nevada nonmetropolitan area |
8,320 |
84.69 |
0.99 |
$20.51 |
$42,660 |
About May 2019 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 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020
United States Department of Labor
