Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary
In Kentucky, tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn $53,160 at the median, or about $25.56 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $58,916 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $53K get you in Kentucky?
About tank car, truck, and ship loaders
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Kentucky
Tank car, truck, and ship loaders pay in Kentucky tracks closely to the national median, $53K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,110/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level tank car, truck, and ship loaders (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $63K spread from bottom to top.
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders salary by metro in Kentucky
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $63K | +19% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track tank car, truck, and ship loaders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a tank car, truck, and ship loader afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 31.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tank car, truck, and ship loaders typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,648/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 Kentucky?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $53K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Kentucky pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tank car, truck, and ship loaders make in Kentucky?
The median is $53,160 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,470, and experienced tank car, truck, and ship loaders can clear $90,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,552/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 31.3% 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (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 $58,916 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.