Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Salary
In Massachusetts, tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn $71,750 at the median, or about $34.49 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.09), that's roughly $71,685 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,347/month, about 49.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Massachusetts. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $72K get you in Massachusetts?
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What this looks like in Massachusetts
Massachusetts sits well above the national pay line for tank car, truck, and ship loaders, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,347/month, which is 51% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Massachusetts
Entry-level tank car, truck, and ship loaders (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders salary by metro in Massachusetts
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $77K | +8% | 80 |
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tank car, truck, and ship loader afford a 2BR apartment alone in Massachusetts?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 51% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Massachusetts?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tank car, truck, and ship loaders typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,278/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 103% 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 Massachusetts?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $72K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average for tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Massachusetts pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tank car, truck, and ship loaders make in Massachusetts?
The median is $71,750 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,960, and experienced tank car, truck, and ship loaders can clear $81,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Massachusetts?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,606/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 51% 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 Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (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 $71,685 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.