Transportation salaries
Transportation and material moving careers move people and freight, from truck drivers and pilots to warehouse and delivery workers.
Below are all 46 transportation occupations the BLS tracks, ranked by median annual pay for May 2024. The best paid, airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, earns a median of $226,600 a year.
| # | Job | Median annual | Hourly | Typical education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $226,600 | Salaried | Bachelor's degree | 99,300 |
| 2 | Air Traffic Controllers | $144,580 | $69.51 | Associate's degree | 22,400 |
| 3 | Commercial Pilots | $122,670 | Salaried | Postsecondary nondegree award | 51,830 |
| 4 | Ship Engineers | $101,320 | $48.71 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 8,580 |
| 5 | Transportation Inspectors | $85,750 | $41.23 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,320 |
| 6 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $85,540 | $41.13 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 35,390 |
| 7 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | $84,830 | $40.78 | High school diploma or equivalent | 9,200 |
| 8 | Locomotive Engineers | $77,400 | $37.21 | High school diploma or equivalent | 31,990 |
| 9 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $74,080 | $35.62 | High school diploma or equivalent | 42,710 |
| 10 | Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | $71,510 | $34.38 | High school diploma or equivalent | 5,110 |
| 11 | Wellhead Pumpers | $70,010 | $33.66 | High school diploma or equivalent | 17,350 |
| 12 | Flight Attendants | $67,130 | Salaried | High school diploma or equivalent | 130,110 |
| 13 | Crane and Tower Operators | $66,370 | $31.91 | High school diploma or equivalent | 42,000 |
| 14 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $65,480 | $31.48 | High school diploma or equivalent | 12,460 |
| 15 | Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $63,940 | $30.74 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,160 |
| 16 | First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $61,890 | $29.76 | High school diploma or equivalent | 605,510 |
| 17 | Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | $60,020 | $28.86 | High school diploma or equivalent | 12,600 |
| 18 | Bridge and Lock Tenders | $58,490 | $28.12 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,720 |
| 19 | Traffic Technicians | $58,480 | $28.12 | High school diploma or equivalent | 7,580 |
| 20 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | $58,070 | $27.92 | No formal educational credential | 10,920 |
| 21 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | $58,030 | $27.90 | High school diploma or equivalent | 3,300 |
| 22 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $57,440 | $27.62 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 2,070,480 |
| 23 | Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | $57,440 | $27.61 | High school diploma or equivalent | 148,980 |
| 24 | Airfield Operations Specialists | $56,750 | $27.28 | High school diploma or equivalent | 16,640 |
| 25 | Hoist and Winch Operators | $52,310 | $25.15 | No formal educational credential | 2,480 |
| 26 | Motorboat Operators | $51,880 | $24.94 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 2,380 |
| 27 | Sailors and Marine Oilers | $49,610 | $23.85 | No formal educational credential | 31,360 |
| 28 | Dredge Operators | $48,430 | $23.28 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,030 |
| 29 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | $48,350 | $23.24 | No formal educational credential | 139,180 |
| 30 | Bus Drivers, School | $47,040 | $22.62 | High school diploma or equivalent | 387,920 |
| 31 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $46,390 | $22.30 | No formal educational credential | 805,770 |
| 32 | Light Truck Drivers | $44,140 | $21.22 | High school diploma or equivalent | 994,410 |
| 33 | Aircraft Service Attendants | $41,540 | $19.97 | High school diploma or equivalent | 27,310 |
| 34 | Conveyor Operators and Tenders | $41,230 | $19.82 | No formal educational credential | 26,060 |
| 35 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | $39,700 | $19.09 | No formal educational credential | 46,690 |
| 36 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,940 | $18.72 | No formal educational credential | 2,982,530 |
| 37 | Passenger Attendants | $37,560 | $18.06 | High school diploma or equivalent | 25,340 |
| 38 | Driver/Sales Workers | $37,130 | $17.85 | High school diploma or equivalent | 417,420 |
| 39 | Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,090 | $17.83 | No formal educational credential | 2,779,530 |
| 40 | Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs | $36,670 | $17.63 | No formal educational credential | 229,630 |
| 41 | Taxi Drivers | $36,220 | $17.42 | No formal educational credential | 17,510 |
| 42 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | $35,580 | $17.10 | No formal educational credential | 601,440 |
| 43 | Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | $35,270 | $16.96 | No formal educational credential | 373,960 |
| 44 | Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants | $34,850 | $16.76 | No formal educational credential | 98,270 |
| 45 | Parking Attendants | $34,600 | $16.63 | No formal educational credential | 134,650 |
| 46 | Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | $34,330 | $16.51 | High school diploma or equivalent | 12,080 |
Ranked by median annual wage. National estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2024.
Transportation salary FAQ
What is the highest paying transportation job?
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers top the transportation field at a median of $226,600 a year, based on BLS data for May 2024.
How much do transportation jobs pay on average?
Pay varies widely across the 46 occupations in this field. The middle of the list, airfield operations specialists, sits at a median of $56,750 a year. The overall U.S. median across all jobs is $49,500.
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Source. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Figures shown as published, last
updated 2025-04-02.