SALARY DATA — SOC 53-1047
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling
53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling is 2.22× — the national median is $62,890 but top decile earns $96,150. The spread exists; it's concentrated in geography, specialization, and industry sector. Knowing which end of the band you're on is the whole negotiation.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 623,640.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $43,360 | -31% | ~$21 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $50,070 | -20% | ~$24 |
| Median — 50th pct | $62,890 | — | $30.23/hr |
| Mean — average | $66,860 | +6% | $32.14/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $78,160 | +24% | ~$38 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $96,150 | +53% | ~$46 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling in 393 metro areas; the 10 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 35,860 | $71,510 | $46,880 | $104,370 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 22,930 | $62,190 | $45,570 | $98,990 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 19,490 | $60,260 | $40,010 | $94,690 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 19,280 | $68,330 | $48,040 | $98,900 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 16,900 | $65,290 | $42,530 | $97,040 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 15,320 | $60,760 | $40,270 | $96,930 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 12,050 | $62,820 | $43,930 | $92,580 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 11,610 | $69,920 | $45,900 | $91,860 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 11,080 | $61,780 | $39,520 | $95,030 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 8,480 | $64,990 | $44,480 | $91,320 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 214 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 5 that employ the most First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehousing and Storage | 493100 | 68,470 | $72,380 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | 4450A1 | 51,140 | $47,420 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 492100 | 50,190 | $58,330 |
| Truck Transportation | 484000 | 40,580 | $73,920 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | 4230A1 | 32,890 | $63,110 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices. Which reorders the answer: New York ranks #5 of 50 on the paycheck and #29 once you spend it.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | $75,460 | 101.5 | $74,381 | +1 |
| Denver | $69,250 | 99.4 | $69,691 | +6 |
| San Francisco | $73,950 | 106.2 | $69,643 | — |
| Minneapolis | $72,140 | 104.4 | $69,104 | — |
| Riverside | $69,920 | 101.3 | $69,046 | +2 |
| Seattle | $76,390 | 111.1 | $68,737 | -5 |
| Providence | $70,170 | 102.3 | $68,604 | -1 |
| Kansas City | $63,610 | 93.4 | $68,101 | +12 |
| Chicago | $68,330 | 100.5 | $67,981 | — |
| Atlanta | $65,290 | 96.7 | $67,510 | +5 |
Top 10 of 50 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Cleveland gains 19 places. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling to move from 621,500 to 640,300 over 2025–2035 — +3% , with about 54,900 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: high school diploma or equivalent, plus less than 5 years of related experience.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling?
- The median annual salary for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling is $62,890, and the mean is $66,860 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling?
- Most First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling earn between $43,360 and $96,150 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 2.22× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 2.22 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ranks #5 by nominal pay but #29 of 50 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling employment to grow 3% over the 2025–2035 window, with about 54,900 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 623,640 workers in First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- Flight Attendants $63,580
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers $61,770
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers $60,600
- Traffic Technicians $59,090
- Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity $59,050
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders $58,870
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,640
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $58,170
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling (SOC 53-1047): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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