Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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) |
| 12,639,920 |
0.2 % |
$ 19.88 |
$ 41,340 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 11.45 |
$ 14.19 |
$ 17.72 |
$ 22.88 |
$ 29.72 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 23,820 |
$ 29,520 |
$ 36,860 |
$ 47,590 |
$ 61,820 |
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 |
1,237,810 |
74.69 |
$ 19.43 |
$ 40,410 |
| Truck Transportation |
1,120,890 |
75.12 |
$ 24.32 |
$ 50,580 |
| Employment Services |
885,900 |
25.40 |
$ 15.04 |
$ 31,290 |
| General Merchandise Stores |
801,860 |
25.99 |
$ 15.16 |
$ 31,540 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) |
794,700 |
26.87 |
$ 14.75 |
$ 30,670 |
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 |
786,980 |
84.88 |
$ 22.72 |
$ 47,260 |
| Inland Water Transportation |
19,830 |
77.77 |
$ 40.64 |
$ 84,540 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
137,870 |
77.38 |
$ 20.27 |
$ 42,160 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
123,900 |
76.25 |
$ 18.73 |
$ 38,950 |
| Truck Transportation |
1,120,890 |
75.12 |
$ 24.32 |
$ 50,580 |
Top paying industries for Transportation and Material Moving Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation |
22,570 |
46.44 |
$ 54.36 |
$ 113,070 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation |
243,620 |
62.20 |
$ 47.43 |
$ 98,650 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
55,230 |
2.62 |
$ 44.17 |
$ 91,880 |
| Inland Water Transportation |
19,830 |
77.77 |
$ 40.64 |
$ 84,540 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities |
770 |
0.08 |
$ 40.37 |
$ 83,960 |
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 |
1,449,500 |
87.69 |
0.98 |
$ 21.22 |
$ 44,130 |
| Texas |
1,129,330 |
92.37 |
1.03 |
$ 19.60 |
$ 40,770 |
| Florida |
720,860 |
83.77 |
0.93 |
$ 18.66 |
$ 38,810 |
| Illinois |
593,810 |
105.68 |
1.18 |
$ 20.44 |
$ 42,520 |
| New York |
582,750 |
67.22 |
0.75 |
$ 23.02 |
$ 47,880 |
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) |
| Tennessee |
355,630 |
119.07 |
1.33 |
$ 18.16 |
$ 37,770 |
| Kentucky |
213,190 |
115.97 |
1.29 |
$ 19.68 |
$ 40,940 |
| Arkansas |
133,880 |
112.41 |
1.25 |
$ 18.27 |
$ 38,000 |
| Indiana |
333,990 |
111.95 |
1.25 |
$ 18.98 |
$ 39,470 |
| New Jersey |
428,160 |
111.20 |
1.24 |
$ 20.29 |
$ 42,190 |
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 |
27,040 |
91.40 |
1.02 |
$ 26.90 |
$ 55,940 |
| District of Columbia |
14,720 |
22.24 |
0.25 |
$ 26.05 |
$ 54,190 |
| Hawaii |
41,250 |
75.22 |
0.84 |
$ 23.94 |
$ 49,790 |
| Washington |
272,400 |
84.97 |
0.95 |
$ 23.45 |
$ 48,780 |
| New York |
582,750 |
67.22 |
0.75 |
$ 23.02 |
$ 47,880 |
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 |
674,890 |
77.77 |
0.87 |
$ 23.05 |
$ 47,940 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
481,620 |
84.21 |
0.94 |
$ 21.09 |
$ 43,860 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
455,970 |
107.72 |
1.20 |
$ 20.86 |
$ 43,380 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
376,950 |
105.03 |
1.17 |
$ 20.62 |
$ 42,890 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
281,600 |
108.81 |
1.21 |
$ 20.29 |
$ 42,200 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
268,590 |
92.71 |
1.03 |
$ 20.53 |
$ 42,700 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
254,610 |
166.41 |
1.85 |
$ 20.38 |
$ 42,380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
228,460 |
86.06 |
0.96 |
$ 19.55 |
$ 40,670 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
213,470 |
87.04 |
0.97 |
$ 20.62 |
$ 42,900 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
196,620 |
92.89 |
1.04 |
$ 20.37 |
$ 42,370 |
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 |
51,980 |
202.83 |
2.26 |
$ 21.10 |
$ 43,880 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR |
105,400 |
174.27 |
1.94 |
$ 19.06 |
$ 39,640 |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA |
9,540 |
168.24 |
1.88 |
$ 18.90 |
$ 39,310 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
254,610 |
166.41 |
1.85 |
$ 20.38 |
$ 42,380 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL |
38,470 |
161.40 |
1.80 |
$ 18.04 |
$ 37,530 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV |
14,480 |
147.72 |
1.65 |
$ 18.73 |
$ 38,960 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA |
34,770 |
146.31 |
1.63 |
$ 18.24 |
$ 37,940 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
11,500 |
144.43 |
1.61 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Danville, IL |
3,620 |
144.29 |
1.61 |
$ 19.91 |
$ 41,410 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ |
49,700 |
143.20 |
1.60 |
$ 19.11 |
$ 39,750 |
United States Department of Labor
