Load and unload chemicals and bulk solids, such as coal, sand, and grain, into or from tank cars, trucks, or ships, using material moving equipment. May perform a variety of other tasks relating to shipment of products. May gauge or sample shipping tanks and test them for leaks.
National median · BLS
$58,870
▲ +1.38%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$59,970
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
10,700
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$39,460
25th
$46,300
Median (50th)
$58,870
75th
$70,060
90th — top pay
$83,160
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
BLS projects employment of tank car, truck, and ship loaders to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 1,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
12,800 → 13,200
+400 jobs
Projected change
+2.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
14.8% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Operation and Control3.8
Operations Monitoring3.8
Reading Comprehension3.3
Time Management3.1
Active Listening3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.0
Critical Thinking3.0
Monitoring3.0
Speaking3.0
Writing3.0
Top knowledge areas
Transportation3.5
Production and Processing3.3
English Language3.3
Public Safety and Security3.1
Mechanical2.9
Education and Training2.5
Computers and Electronics2.5
Administrative2.4
Software and technology used
Warehouse management system WMSLinuxMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareSAP softwareCompuWeigh GMSDistributed control system DCS
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What tank car, truck, and ship loaders do
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.
Monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow.
Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment.
Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.
Also called
LoaderLoader OperatorTankermanTruck LoaderLoad Out PersonLoading OperatorOil Movements OperatorPVC Loader (Polyvinyl Chloride Loader)Rail Car LoaderTank Car Loader
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $58,870.
