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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

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