Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$62,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$6,000
9.7% of base
Total target cash
$68,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$3,50050th$6,00075th$10,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.
Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.
Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures.
Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.
Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlReading ComprehensionTime ManagementWritingSpeaking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders pay by experience level
Entry level$41,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$48,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$61,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$72,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$86,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+4.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,300
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders salary by industry
Support Activities for Transportation
3,970 workers
$64,000
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
2,190 workers
$61,500
Support Activities for Water Transportation
1,780 workers
$67,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
1,400 workers
$55,500
Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers
760 workers
$46,000
Food Manufacturing
690 workers
$58,000
Warehousing and Storage
660 workers
$67,500
Warehousing and Storage
660 workers
$67,500
Water Transportation
560 workers
$75,500
Inland Water Transportation
550 workers
$76,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.
Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.
Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures.
Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.
Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
How this role compares
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders pays 10% below the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).
Similar-paying roles in Transportation and Material Moving
Need Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
