How much does a transportation worker make?
Answer: A typical transportation worker in the United States makes $45,650 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 14,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Transportation worker pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $33,080 | $45,650 | $79,540 | about 14,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $47,590 | about 2,000 |
| Tennessee | $46,280 | about 1,000 |
| Georgia | $44,070 | about 630 |
| Louisiana | $43,440 | about 1,000 |
| Florida | $37,110 | about 560 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can differ with experience, special training or a license, the kind of transportation work and employer, and location. Shift premiums or overtime can also change total pay; BLS says its wage survey leaves these extra payments out.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a transportation worker do?
All transportation workers not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
There's no single routine for this broad group. In one airport-refueling example, a worker radios dispatch and uses a fuel-truck hose to refuel an aircraft; ferry and other transport jobs look different.
How to get this job
In the U.S., a high-school diploma is the usual entry education; BLS lists no related experience and short on-the-job training. There is no one age, test, license, or apprenticeship for this broad group, so check the rules for your specific job.
Did you know?
The same catch-all job group can include both airplane refuelers and cable-ferryboat operators—so its workers may work at an airport or on a ferry.
What about Japan?
Nearly the same jobThe US figure is the median and the Japan figure is the average, so it's not a perfect comparison. Prices differ too.
Earn more in the same field
Transportation and Material Moving jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-6099.00
- apps.illinoisworknet.com/IwnProfiles/occupations/occupation/53-6099.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes536099.htm
- www.onetonline.org/search/task/compare/43-9071.00?d=13304
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY