Jetted FoxCareers · Heavy equipment & cranes
Industrial truck and tractor operators
Drive forklifts and other powered trucks to move goods in warehouses, factories and docks. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $17.41/hr in West Virginia to $33.99/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $16.01–17.94/hr | $21.58/hr |
| Alaska | $18.10–19.62/hr | $26.05/hr |
| Arizona | $18.54–21.21/hr | $23.13/hr |
| Arkansas | $16.30–17.88/hr | $21.05/hr |
| California | $18.58–20.77/hr | $22.97/hr |
| Colorado | $19.50–22.10/hr | $24.31/hr |
| Connecticut | $18.65–21.23/hr | $22.69/hr |
| Delaware | $18.37–21.17/hr | $29.02/hr |
| Florida | $17.81–19.35/hr | $23.25/hr |
| Georgia | $17.64–18.27/hr | $20.78/hr |
| Hawaii | $19.78–21.36/hr | $25.79/hr |
| Idaho | $17.50–20.31/hr | $22.40/hr |
| Illinois | $18.26–20.60/hr | $22.94/hr |
| Indiana | $17.91–19.47/hr | $21.95/hr |
| Iowa | $18.58–20.90/hr | $22.88/hr |
| Kansas | $18.23–20.99/hr | $22.80/hr |
| Kentucky | $17.09–18.66/hr | $22.42/hr |
| Louisiana | $17.30–19.66/hr | $23.54/hr |
| Maine | $19.44–21.38/hr | $22.95/hr |
| Maryland | $18.91–20.52/hr | $21.94/hr |
| Massachusetts | $19.16–21.28/hr | $22.52/hr |
| Michigan | $17.88–18.91/hr | $21.74/hr |
| Minnesota | $19.20–21.42/hr | $23.91/hr |
| Mississippi | $15.57–17.80/hr | $20.88/hr |
| Missouri | $17.42–18.86/hr | $21.73/hr |
| Montana | $17.52–20.05/hr | $23.10/hr |
| Nebraska | $17.80–19.48/hr | $22.46/hr |
| Nevada | $18.06–19.18/hr | $21.75/hr |
| New Hampshire | $19.52–22.14/hr | $26.19/hr |
| New Jersey | $17.63–19.04/hr | $22.16/hr |
| New Mexico | $17.26–19.15/hr | $29.88/hr |
| New York | $18.43–21.15/hr | $23.57/hr |
| North Carolina | $17.28–18.31/hr | $20.88/hr |
| North Dakota | $19.58–21.65/hr | $23.68/hr |
| Ohio | $18.25–20.45/hr | $22.33/hr |
| Oklahoma | $17.02–18.15/hr | $21.49/hr |
| Oregon | $19.43–22.62/hr | $24.40/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $18.35–20.72/hr | $22.95/hr |
| Rhode Island | $18.73–18.92/hr | $21.64/hr |
| South Carolina | $17.20–18.48/hr | $21/hr |
| South Dakota | $18.17–20.83/hr | $22.79/hr |
| Tennessee | $17.08–18.14/hr | $20.24/hr |
| Texas | $16.49–18.13/hr | $21.85/hr |
| Utah | $18.40–21.32/hr | $23.58/hr |
| Vermont | $18.77–21.05/hr | $22.78/hr |
| Virginia | $17.91–20.42/hr | $22.56/hr |
| Washington | $20–22.34/hr | $24/hr |
| Washington, DC | $27.43–33.99/hr | $40.25/hr |
| West Virginia | $13.80–17.41/hr | $20.03/hr |
| Wisconsin | $18.73–21.22/hr | $22.94/hr |
| Wyoming | $18.38–22.13/hr | $28.76/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You drive a forklift around a warehouse or plant, loading trucks, stacking pallets and moving stock to where it is needed. You scan items, follow pick lists and watch for people on foot. Shifts run around the clock, and the pace is set by orders and trucks.
The good parts
Quick to get hired and trained. Lots of openings almost everywhere. Can lead to lead, supervisor or logistics roles.
The hard parts
Repetitive work with the same routes all day. Forklift accidents cause serious injuries. Many warehouses run nights and weekends.
Where it leads
Warehouse or freight supervisor (after 1–5 years). operators move to lead, warehouse supervisor or logistics coordinator, or to CDL truck driving.
Quick answers
Do industrial truck and tractor operators need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for industrial truck and tractor operators?
1–2 weeks of training.
How much do industrial truck and tractor operators make?
About $17.71–19.24 an hour to start and $22.32 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the 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. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.