Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salary
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Wheeling, WV-OH make a median of $39,380 a year, or about $18.93 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.32), which stretches that salary to about $44,588 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $991/month, about 36.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $39K actually covers in Wheeling, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wheeling’s Regional Price Parity (88.32). 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 Wheeling
Pay for industrial truck and tractor operators in Wheeling runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $991/month, which is 36.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.32 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for industrial truck and tractor operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for industrial truck and tractor operators in metros near Wheeling, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland | $43K | $48K |
| Charleston | $44K | $49K |
| Parkersburg-Vienna | $46K | $53K |
| Beckley | $38K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wheeling, WV-OH
Entry-level industrial truck and tractor operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $13K 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)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a industrial truck and tractor operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wheeling?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 36.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $991/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Wheeling?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial truck and tractor operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,582/month. At HUD’s $991/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Wheeling?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $39K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wheeling compare to the national average for industrial truck and tractor operators?
Wheeling pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.32), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — below the national median.
How much do industrial truck and tractor operators make in Wheeling, WV-OH?
The median is $39,380 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,460, and experienced industrial truck and tractor operators can clear $50,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Wheeling?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,705/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $991/month, which eats 36.6% 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 Wheeling?
Wheeling has a Regional Price Parity of 88.32 (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 $44,588 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.