Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary
In Louisiana, tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn $58,900 at the median, or about $28.32 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $67,484 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 30.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in Louisiana?
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Tank car, truck, and ship loaders pay in Louisiana tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 0% difference. Rent runs $1,191/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% 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, Louisiana
Entry-level tank car, truck, and ship loaders (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders salary by metro in Louisiana
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | $63K | +7% | 40 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $62K | +6% | 210 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $58K | -2% | 60 |
| Baton Rouge | $50K | -16% | 100 |
Compare to other states
Track tank car, truck, and ship loaders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tank car, truck, and ship loader afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 30.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/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 Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tank car, truck, and ship loaders typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,936/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Louisiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Louisiana pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tank car, truck, and ship loaders make in Louisiana?
The median is $58,900 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,940, and experienced tank car, truck, and ship loaders can clear $68,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,954/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 30.1% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $67,484 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.