SOC 53-7121.00

    Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders

    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.

    Median pay
    $58,870
    Growth
    +2.8%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    1,300
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $39,460
    Median
    $58,870
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $83,160
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    10,700 people work in this occupation.

    What tank car, truck, and ship loaders do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    99 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    16 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    0 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    5 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    63 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    91
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    89
    Getting Information
    85
    Processing Information
    82
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    82
    Documenting/Recording Information
    81
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    81
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    79
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    79
    Handling and Moving Objects
    78
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Time Management
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • Transportation
    • Production and Processing
    • English Language
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Mechanical
    • Education and Training
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administrative
    • Chemistry
    • Customer and Personal Service

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Far Vision
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Rate Control
    • Depth Perception
    • Perceptual Speed
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Reaction Time
    • Static Strength

    Work styles

    • Cautiousness
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Perseverance
    • Cooperation
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Barge Loader · Barges Loader · Bulk Tank Car Unloader · Car Loader · Car Unloader · Caustics Loader · Coal Dumping Equipment Operator · Dock Loader · Load Out Person · Loader

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.