State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators earn a median of $46,420 per year ($22.32/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 1.1% through 2034, with about 76,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 53-7051Transportation and Material MovingLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $46,420
- Projected growth
- +1.1%
- Openings a year
- 76,400
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Checker Loader, Fork Lift Technician, Fork Truck Driver, Forklift Driver, Forklift Operator, Lift Truck Operator.
How much do Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators make?
10th percentile$36,840
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$40,030
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$46,420
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$54,770
Upper quartile
90th percentile$62,520
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $46,420 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $22.32/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $48,370 |
| People employed | 774,420 |
Versus all US occupations
At $46,420, Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators earn 9% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,560 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $58,405, this is 21% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $62,520 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,840, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 20% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $83,720, and still leads at $76,178 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $83,720 | $76,178 | N/A |
| New Mexico | $62,150 | $67,399 | 2,620 |
| Delaware | $60,350 | $60,466 | 5,230 |
| Wyoming | $59,820 | $64,537 | 790 |
| New Hampshire | $54,460 | $52,282 | 1,450 |
| Alaska | $54,190 | $52,941 | 410 |
| Hawaii | $53,640 | $48,785 | 880 |
| Oregon | $50,760 | $49,109 | 8,560 |
| Colorado | $50,570 | $49,072 | 8,570 |
| Washington | $49,910 | $46,639 | 18,750 |
Is Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator a growing career?
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators1.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators to change 1.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 9,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 76,400 openings are projected each year, 9.6% of the 792,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of material moving machine operators is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Despite limited employment growth, about 83,200 openings for material moving machine operators are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of material moving machine operators varies by occupation (see table).
How to become an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator
Education and training requirements vary by occupation. Crane operators typically have several years of experience in a related occupation.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as industrial truck and tractor operators.
- High School Diploma73.4%
- Less than a High School Diploma22.5%
- Some College Courses4.1%
What does an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator do?
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Material moving machine operators use equipment to transport objects. For example, some operators move goods around factories and storage areas or onto container ships. Others move construction materials around building sites.
Day-to-day tasks
- Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
- Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
- Move levers or controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams with swivel-hooks, hoists, or elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, or stack material.
- Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
- Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension2.9/5
- Active Listening2.9/5
- Speaking2.8/5
- Critical Thinking2.8/5
- Monitoring2.8/5
- Writing2.5/5
- Mathematics2.1/5
- Active Learning2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Operation and Control3.9/5
- Operations Monitoring3.3/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.0/5
- Troubleshooting3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Inventory management software
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative1.8
Artistic1.0
Social1.1
Enterprising1.2
Conventionalprimary3.7
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator: frequently asked questions
How much do Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators make?
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators earn a median of $46,420 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 9% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.32/hr. The middle half earn between $40,030 and $54,770. The top 10% earn $62,520 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 73.4% hold high school diploma.
Is Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.1% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 76,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator do?
Material moving machine operators use equipment to transport objects. A core O*NET task: manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators the most?
The highest state medians for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators are District of Columbia ($83,720), New Mexico ($62,150), Delaware ($60,350) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator?
O*NET scores Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.