Careers / Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$46,420
United States, 2025
Employment
774,420
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
- O*NET code
- 53-7051.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
- Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
- Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
- Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
- Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
- Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.
- Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$36,840
25th percentile
$40,030
75th percentile
$54,770
90th percentile
$62,520
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Equipment Maintenance3.0
- Troubleshooting3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Active Listening2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Monitoring2.8
- Speaking2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 6 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
6
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.9 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | 2.5 | Not selected | 2.5 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.3 | Not selected | 2.3 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Industrial Truck and Tractor OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | $83,720 | — | 2025 |
| Flint, MI | $78,530 | 1,020 | 2025 |
| Kahului, HI | $66,350 | 40 | 2025 |
| Cheyenne, WY | $62,520 | 360 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $62,460 | 1,070 | 2025 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $62,150 | 1,940 | 2025 |
| NM | $62,150 | 2,620 | 2025 |
| DE | $60,350 | 5,230 | 2025 |
| Palm Bay, FL | $59,850 | 530 | 2025 |
| WY | $59,820 | 790 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,240 | 7,530 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $58,910 | 230 | 2025 |
| Kenosha, WI | $58,110 | 1,300 | 2025 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $57,140 | 670 | 2025 |
| Lewiston, ME | $57,000 | 410 | 2025 |
| Modesto, CA | $55,810 | 2,350 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $55,680 | 480 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $55,600 | 10,110 | 2025 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | $54,700 | 270 | 2025 |
| NH | $54,460 | 1,450 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.