Occupations
50
tracked in this field
Average Median
$61,900
across the field
Highest Paying
$232,140
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Entry Point
$35,150
Parking Attendant
All Transportation salaries, ranked
Sorted by median annual pay in official BLS estimates. Click any job for its full salary report, including pay by state.
| Occupation | Median salary | Hourly | Typical education | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $232,140 | $111.61 | High school diploma or equivalent | 104,000 |
| Air Traffic Controller | $148,080 | $71.19 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,000 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 | $59.24 | High school diploma or equivalent | 48,000 |
| Ship Engineer | $109,530 | $52.66 | High school diploma or equivalent | 8,000 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $92,460 | $44.45 | High school diploma or equivalent | 37,000 |
| Transportation Inspector | $92,100 | $44.28 | High school diploma or equivalent | 25,000 |
| Subway and Streetcar Operators | $86,380 | $41.53 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,000 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 | $39.14 | High school diploma or equivalent | 33,000 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $78,000 | $37.50 | High school diploma or equivalent | 46,000 |
| Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | $77,320 | $37.17 | High school diploma or equivalent | 4,000 |
| Wellhead Pumper | $69,960 | $33.63 | High school diploma or equivalent | 18,000 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $68,840 | $33.10 | High school diploma or equivalent | 12,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $68,080 | $32.73 | High school diploma or equivalent | 43,000 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 | $30.57 | High school diploma or equivalent | 132,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $62,890 | $30.24 | High school diploma or equivalent | 624,000 |
| Pump Operator, Except Wellhead Pumpers | $61,770 | $29.70 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,000 |
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | $60,600 | $29.13 | High school diploma or equivalent | 4,000 |
| Traffic Technician | $59,090 | $28.41 | High school diploma or equivalent | 8,000 |
| Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | $59,050 | $28.39 | High school diploma or equivalent | 159,000 |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | $58,870 | $28.30 | High school diploma or equivalent | 11,000 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,640 | $28.19 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,062,000 |
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisor | $58,170 | $27.97 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,000 |
| Bridge and Lock Tenders | $57,700 | $27.74 | High school diploma or equivalent | 3,000 |
| Airfield Operations Specialist | $56,850 | $27.33 | High school diploma or equivalent | 15,000 |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | $56,450 | $27.14 | High school diploma or equivalent | 3,000 |
| Rail Transportation Worker, All Other | $56,360 | $27.10 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,000 |
| Sailors and Marine Oilers | $51,520 | $24.77 | High school diploma or equivalent | 32,000 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | $49,690 | $23.89 | High school diploma or equivalent | 147,000 |
| Dredge Operator | $49,640 | $23.87 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,000 |
| Bus Driver, School | $47,920 | $23.04 | High school diploma or equivalent | 403,000 |
| Motorboat Operator | $47,520 | $22.85 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,000 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $46,420 | $22.32 | High school diploma or equivalent | 774,000 |
| Transportation Worker, All Other | $45,650 | $21.95 | High school diploma or equivalent | 14,000 |
| Light Truck Driver | $44,860 | $21.57 | High school diploma or equivalent | 983,000 |
| Conveyor Operators and Tenders | $42,420 | $20.39 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,000 |
| Taxi Driver | $42,100 | $20.24 | High school diploma or equivalent | 41,000 |
| Material Moving Worker, All Other | $41,800 | $20.10 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,000 |
| Machine Feeders and Offbearers | $41,220 | $19.82 | High school diploma or equivalent | 42,000 |
| Aircraft Service Attendant | $40,450 | $19.45 | High school diploma or equivalent | 31,000 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,240 | $19.35 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,950,000 |
| Driver/Sale Workers | $38,770 | $18.64 | High school diploma or equivalent | 409,000 |
| Passenger Attendant | $37,720 | $18.13 | High school diploma or equivalent | 27,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,330 | $17.95 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,834,000 |
| Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs | $37,290 | $17.93 | High school diploma or equivalent | 249,000 |
| Motor Vehicle Operator, All Other | $37,180 | $17.88 | High school diploma or equivalent | 47,000 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | $36,280 | $17.44 | High school diploma or equivalent | 560,000 |
| Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | $35,830 | $17.23 | High school diploma or equivalent | 380,000 |
| Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants | $35,670 | $17.15 | High school diploma or equivalent | 102,000 |
| Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | $35,450 | $17.04 | High school diploma or equivalent | 13,000 |
| Parking Attendant | $35,150 | $16.90 | High school diploma or equivalent | 138,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average Transportation salary?
Across the 50 transportation occupations tracked in BLS data, the average median salary is $61,900 per year. Individual roles range from $35,150 to $232,140.
What is the highest-paying Transportation job?
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is the highest-paying transportation occupation in official BLS estimates, with a median salary of $232,140 per year.
What education do Transportation jobs require?
It varies by role — the table above shows the typical entry-level education for each occupation, sourced from O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Many specialist roles need a degree, while support and trainee roles often need a certificate or less.
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