Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salary
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Louisiana make a median of $48,950 a year, or about $23.54 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $56,084 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 35.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Louisiana?
About industrial truck and tractor operators
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Industrial truck and tractor operators pay in Louisiana tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 35.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level industrial truck and tractor operators (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators salary by metro in Louisiana
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammond | $54K | +10% | 550 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $51K | +5% | 730 |
| Baton Rouge | $48K | -2% | 1,410 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $48K | -3% | 1,090 |
| Lafayette | $47K | -5% | 390 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $45K | -8% | 140 |
| Lake Charles | $44K | -11% | 290 |
| Monroe | $42K | -15% | 230 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $41K | -16% | 170 |
| Alexandria | $39K | -20% | 150 |
Compare to other states
Track industrial truck and tractor operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a industrial truck and tractor operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 35.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial truck and tractor operators typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,159/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Louisiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for industrial truck and tractor operators?
Louisiana pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do industrial truck and tractor operators make in Louisiana?
The median is $48,950 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,980, and experienced industrial truck and tractor operators can clear $61,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,322/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 35.9% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median industrial truck and tractor operators salary is worth about $56,084 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.