Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary
In Charleston, WV, tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn $54,750 at the median, or about $26.32 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $61,711 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,036/month, or 28.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $55K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). 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.
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What this looks like in Charleston
Tank car, truck, and ship loaders pay in Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,036/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tank car, truck, and ship loaders in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $50K | $53K |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $63K | $68K |
| Columbus | $57K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level tank car, truck, and ship loaders (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $5K spread from bottom to top.
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $81K | +38% | 110 |
| South Carolina | $81K | +37% | 90 |
| Montana | $80K | +36% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $77K | +30% | N/A |
| Alabama | $75K | +28% | 240 |
| Oregon | $74K | +26% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $72K | +22% | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | +19% | 40 |
| California | $69K | +17% | 110 |
| New Jersey | $65K | +10% | 120 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +4% | 310 |
| Texas | $61K | +4% | 1,620 |
| Louisiana | $59K | +0% | 500 |
| Michigan | $58K | -2% | 200 |
| Missouri | $58K | -2% | 180 |
| Ohio | $58K | -2% | 820 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | -3% | 170 |
| West Virginia | $55K | -7% | 90 |
| Utah | $53K | -9% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $53K | -10% | 130 |
| Iowa | $51K | -13% | 180 |
| Colorado | $51K | -13% | 80 |
| Georgia | $51K | -13% | 50 |
| New York | $48K | -18% | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -18% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -18% | 80 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -21% | N/A |
| Florida | $46K | -23% | 430 |
| Hawaii | $45K | -23% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $45K | -24% | 240 |
| Indiana | $44K | -25% | 250 |
| Idaho | $42K | -29% | 80 |
| Virginia | $41K | -30% | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -40% | 170 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -43% | 150 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tank car, truck, and ship loaders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tank car, truck, and ship loader afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?
Yes — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 28.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for tank car, truck, and ship loaders in Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tank car, truck, and ship loaders typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,992/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Charleston compare to the national average for tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Charleston pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tank car, truck, and ship loaders make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $54,750 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,870, and experienced tank car, truck, and ship loaders can clear $54,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,674/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 28.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a tank car, truck, and ship loaders salary go in Charleston?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (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 $61,711 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.