United States · Pay by job
Transportation and Material Moving jobs: pay and take-home
BLS counts 50 transportation and material moving jobs, done by about 13,677,170 people. The best paid is airline pilot at a median of $232,140; the most common is hand laborer and material mover, at $40,240 (BLS, May 2025).
BLS group: Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
What does each transportation and material moving job pay?
| Job | Median pay | Take-home in Texas | People | Growth to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 | $171,457 | 103,560 | +8.3% |
| Air Traffic Controller | $148,080 | $112,479 | 22,510 | +1.7% |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 | $95,487 | 47,630 | +5.2% |
| Ship Engineer | $109,530 | $85,884 | 8,400 | +2.7% |
| Ship Captain and Mate | $92,460 | $73,876 | 36,850 | +4% |
| Transportation Inspector | $92,100 | $73,622 | 24,500 | +2.2% |
| Subway and Streetcar Operator | $86,380 | $69,598 | 10,200 | +3.7% |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 | $66,102 | 33,470 | +0.5% |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 | $63,703 | 46,440 | +0.9% |
| Gas Compressor Operator | $77,320 | $63,225 | 3,510 | +2.1% |
| Wellhead Pumper | $69,960 | $58,047 | 17,990 | -2% |
| Railroad Brake and Signal Operator | $68,840 | $57,259 | 12,400 | +0.8% |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 | $56,724 | 42,890 | +3.8% |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 | $53,267 | 131,650 | +8.8% |
| Transportation Supervisor | $62,890 | $52,712 | 623,640 | +3% |
| Pump Operator | $61,770 | $51,812 | 9,780 | +4.3% |
| Rail Yard Engineer | $60,600 | $50,872 | 3,920 | +0.8% |
| Traffic Technician | $59,090 | $49,659 | 7,860 | +4% |
| Transit and Intercity Bus Driver | $59,050 | $49,627 | 159,240 | +4.1% |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loader | $58,870 | $49,482 | 10,700 | +2.8% |
| Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver | $58,640 | $49,297 | 2,062,040 | +3.8% |
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisor | $58,170 | $48,920 | 9,760 | +9.2% |
| Bridge and Lock Tender | $57,700 | $48,542 | 3,040 | -2.3% |
| Airfield Operations Specialist | $56,850 | $47,859 | 15,190 | +7.8% |
| Hoist and Winch Operator | $56,450 | $47,538 | 2,600 | +0.2% |
| Other Rail Transportation Worker | $56,360 | $47,465 | 1,120 | +4.4% |
| Sailor and Marine Oiler | $51,520 | $43,576 | 31,670 | +3.2% |
| Refuse and Recycling Collector | $49,690 | $42,106 | 147,240 | +2.1% |
| Dredge Operator | $49,640 | $42,066 | 1,040 | +0.7% |
| School Bus Driver | $47,920 | $40,684 | 402,930 | +0.7% |
| Motorboat Operator | $47,520 | $40,362 | 2,480 | +4.9% |
| Forklift and Industrial Truck Operator | $46,420 | $39,478 | 774,420 | +1.5% |
| Other Transportation Worker | $45,650 | $38,860 | 13,550 | +4% |
| Light Truck Driver | $44,860 | $38,225 | 983,300 | +6.3% |
| Conveyor Operator | $42,420 | $36,264 | 22,930 | -2.6% |
| Taxi Driver | $42,100 | $36,007 | 41,050 | +11.5% |
| Other Material Moving Worker | $41,800 | $35,766 | 23,480 | +2.7% |
| Machine Feeder and Offbearer | $41,220 | $35,300 | 42,330 | -13.1% |
| Aircraft Service Attendant | $40,450 | $34,682 | 31,300 | +5.6% |
| Hand Laborer and Material Mover | $40,240 | $34,513 | 2,950,280 | +1.8% |
| Driver/Sales Worker | $38,770 | $33,332 | 409,180 | +7.9% |
| Passenger Attendant | $37,720 | $32,488 | 27,110 | +6% |
| Stocker and Order Filler | $37,330 | $32,175 | 2,833,810 | +8.9% |
| Shuttle Driver and Chauffeur | $37,290 | $32,143 | 248,530 | +7.1% |
| Other Motor Vehicle Operator | $37,180 | $32,054 | 46,880 | +2.8% |
| Hand Packer and Packager | $36,280 | $31,331 | 559,820 | -5% |
| Cleaners of Vehicle and Equipment | $35,830 | $30,969 | 380,430 | +3.9% |
| Automotive Service Attendant | $35,670 | $30,841 | 102,010 | +3.8% |
| Ambulance Driver and Attendant | $35,450 | $30,664 | 12,630 | -1.3% |
| Parking Attendant | $35,150 | $30,423 | 137,880 | +2% |
Take-home is for a single filer on the national median (hourly-only jobs: 2,080 hours), after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare for 2026; Texas has no state income tax. Each job’s page has every state.
What do other kinds of jobs pay?
- Management 37 jobs
- Business and Finance 32 jobs
- Computer and Math 21 jobs
- Architecture and Engineering 36 jobs
- Science 48 jobs
- Community and Social Service 17 jobs
- Legal 8 jobs
- Education and Library 64 jobs
- Arts, Design, Sports and Media 41 jobs
- Healthcare Practitioners 71 jobs
- Healthcare Support 17 jobs
- Protective Service 24 jobs
- Food Service 17 jobs
- Cleaning and Grounds 10 jobs
- Personal Care and Service 32 jobs
- Sales 22 jobs
- Office and Admin Support 54 jobs
- Farming, Fishing and Forestry 13 jobs
- Construction and Extraction 60 jobs
- Installation, Maintenance and Repair 51 jobs
- Production 105 jobs
Search every job: pay by job.
Questions about transportation and material moving pay
What is the highest-paying transportation and material moving job?
Airline Pilot, with a median of $232,140 (BLS, May 2025). Next come air traffic controller ($148,080) and commercial pilot ($123,220).
What is the most common transportation and material moving job?
Hand Laborer and Material Mover: about 2,950,280 people across the US, with a median of $40,240.
Which transportation and material moving jobs are growing fastest?
BLS expects the most growth from 2025 to 2035 in taxi driver (+11.5%), aircraft cargo handling supervisor (+9.2%), stocker and order filler (+8.9%).
What do transportation and material moving jobs pay after tax?
On the median pay, a single filer in Texas keeps $171,457 a year as airline pilot and $34,513 as hand laborer and material mover, after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Each job’s page works it out for 19 states.
What education do transportation and material moving jobs need?
For 26 of the 50 jobs here, BLS lists “high school diploma or equivalent” as the usual education. Each job’s page gives its own.