Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary
In Arkansas, tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn $33,800 at the median, or about $16.25 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.64), which stretches that salary to about $38,567 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,021/month, about 44.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Arkansas. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $34K get you in Arkansas?
About tank car, truck, and ship loaders
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What this looks like in Arkansas
Pay for tank car, truck, and ship loaders in Arkansas runs about 43% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,021/month, which is 43.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.64 (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 tank car, truck, and ship loaderss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arkansas
Entry-level tank car, truck, and ship loaders (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arkansas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tank car, truck, and ship loader afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arkansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 43.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,021/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tank car, truck, and ship loaders in Arkansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tank car, truck, and ship loaders typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,716/month. At HUD’s $1,021/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tank car, truck, and ship loader a high-paying job in Arkansas?
Local pay runs 43% below the national median — $34K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Arkansas compare to the national average for tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Arkansas pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -43%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do tank car, truck, and ship loaders make in Arkansas?
The median is $33,800 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,600, and experienced tank car, truck, and ship loaders can clear $47,440. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Arkansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,337/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,021/month, which eats 43.7% 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 tank car, truck, and ship loaders salary go in Arkansas?
Arkansas has a Regional Price Parity of 87.64 (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 tank car, truck, and ship loaders salary is worth about $38,567 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tank car, truck, and ship loaders 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.