Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salary
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI make a median of $46,550 a year, or about $22.38 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.3), that's roughly $46,411 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,411/month, about 44.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Detroit-Warren-Dearborn’s Regional Price Parity (100.3). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About industrial truck and tractor operators
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What this looks like in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Industrial truck and tractor operators pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,411/month, which is 45.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.3) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for industrial truck and tractor operators in metros near Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $41K | $43K |
| Flint | $79K | $84K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $45K | $47K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $45K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Entry-level industrial truck and tractor operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $84K | +80% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $62K | +34% | 2,620 |
| Delaware | $60K | +30% | 5,230 |
| Wyoming | $60K | +29% | 790 |
| New Hampshire | $54K | +17% | 1,450 |
| Alaska | $54K | +17% | 410 |
| Hawaii | $54K | +16% | 880 |
| Oregon | $51K | +9% | 8,560 |
| Colorado | $51K | +9% | 8,570 |
| Washington | $50K | +8% | 18,750 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +7% | 7,110 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +6% | 930 |
| Utah | $49K | +6% | 6,830 |
| New York | $49K | +6% | 18,420 |
| Louisiana | $49K | +5% | 7,680 |
| Florida | $48K | +4% | 38,400 |
| Arizona | $48K | +4% | 12,340 |
| Montana | $48K | +4% | 910 |
| California | $48K | +3% | 89,620 |
| Maine | $48K | +3% | 2,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +3% | 42,110 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +3% | 12,150 |
| Illinois | $48K | +3% | 29,450 |
| Iowa | $48K | +3% | 7,770 |
| Kansas | $47K | +2% | 7,700 |
| South Dakota | $47K | +2% | 1,940 |
| Vermont | $47K | +2% | 950 |
| Connecticut | $47K | +2% | 3,780 |
| Virginia | $47K | +1% | 19,320 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +1% | 8,390 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +1% | 5,020 |
| Kentucky | $47K | +0% | 11,270 |
| Idaho | $47K | +0% | 2,560 |
| Ohio | $46K | +0% | 42,360 |
| New Jersey | $46K | -1% | 21,790 |
| Indiana | $46K | -2% | 23,090 |
| Maryland | $46K | -2% | 13,740 |
| Texas | $45K | -2% | 88,780 |
| Nevada | $45K | -3% | 7,300 |
| Michigan | $45K | -3% | 23,470 |
| Missouri | $45K | -3% | 11,470 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | -3% | 780 |
| Alabama | $45K | -3% | 15,360 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -4% | 7,850 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -6% | 10,850 |
| South Carolina | $44K | -6% | 14,210 |
| Mississippi | $43K | -6% | 9,640 |
| North Carolina | $43K | -6% | 26,830 |
| Georgia | $43K | -7% | 50,260 |
| Tennessee | $42K | -9% | 20,070 |
| West Virginia | $42K | -10% | 1,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track industrial truck and tractor operators salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a industrial truck and tractor operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 45.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,411/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for industrial truck and tractor operators in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial truck and tractor operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,233/month. At HUD’s $1,411/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is industrial truck and tractor operator a high-paying job in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Detroit-Warren-Dearborn compare to the national average for industrial truck and tractor operators?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do industrial truck and tractor operators make in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The median is $46,550 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,220, and experienced industrial truck and tractor operators can clear $75,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,122/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,411/month, which eats 45.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a industrial truck and tractor operators salary go in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn has a Regional Price Parity of 100.3 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median industrial truck and tractor operators salary is worth about $46,411 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do industrial truck and tractor operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.