Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary
In Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn $60,440 at the median, or about $29.06 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.3), that's roughly $60,259 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,411/month, about 35.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K 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.
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What this looks like in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Tank car, truck, and ship loaders pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,411/month, which is 35.2% 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 tank car, truck, and ship loaders in metros near Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $50K | $53K |
| 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, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Entry-level tank car, truck, and ship loaders (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $32K 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tank car, truck, and ship loader afford a 2BR apartment alone in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 35.2% 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 $1,200/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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tank car, truck, and ship loaders typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,122/month. At HUD’s $1,411/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Detroit-Warren-Dearborn compare to the national average for tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tank car, truck, and ship loaders make in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The median is $60,440 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,360, and experienced tank car, truck, and ship loaders can clear $66,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,003/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,411/month, which eats 35.2% 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 tank car, truck, and ship loaders 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 tank car, truck, and ship loaders salary is worth about $60,259 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.