Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary in Lake Charles, LA
In Lake Charles, LA, tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn $63,580 at the median, or about $30.57 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $74,059 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 29.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $64K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level tank car, truck, and ship loaders (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $36K 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
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $85K | +47% | 220 |
| Alaska | $83K | +43% | 50 |
| Maryland | $80K | +38% | 150 |
| South Carolina | $79K | +36% | 60 |
| Massachusetts | $74K | +28% | 180 |
| Illinois | $68K | +16% | 360 |
| Florida | $67K | +16% | 820 |
| Kentucky | $67K | +15% | 360 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +9% | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | +8% | 130 |
| Louisiana | $62K | +7% | 1,070 |
| Missouri | $62K | +6% | 170 |
| California | $60K | +2% | 170 |
| Texas | $59K | +2% | 2,580 |
| Michigan | $59K | +2% | 140 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +2% | 110 |
| North Dakota | $58K | +1% | 330 |
| Maine | $58K | +0% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -1% | 140 |
| Nebraska | $57K | -1% | N/A |
| West Virginia | $57K | -2% | 170 |
| Iowa | $56K | -3% | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $55K | -6% | 110 |
| Ohio | $52K | -11% | 790 |
| Indiana | $49K | -15% | 340 |
| Utah | $48K | -18% | 40 |
| New York | $45K | -22% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $44K | -24% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $41K | -29% | 130 |
| Georgia | $39K | -33% | N/A |
| Idaho | $38K | -34% | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -36% | 180 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -36% | N/A |
| Arizona | $35K | -40% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 34 states
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 Lake Charles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do tank car, truck, and ship loaders make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $63,580 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,380, and experienced tank car, truck, and ship loaders can clear $79,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,249/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 28.6% 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 Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (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 $74,059 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.