---

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in New Mexico

Want to work as an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in New Mexico? Here’s what you need to know. Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location. Excludes “Logging Equipment Operators” (45-4022).

What do Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Make in New Mexico?

For a industrial truck and tractor operators working in New Mexico, the median annual wage is $60,960 per year (or about $29.31/hour).Pay can range from $36,360 at the 10th percentile to $63,930 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$36,360	$17.48
25th percentile	$42,220	$20.30
Median (50th)	$60,960	$29.31
75th percentile	$60,960	$29.31
90th percentile	$63,930	$30.74

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in New Mexico compared to the national average — is 0.54, meaning fewer industrial truck and tractor operators per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, industrial truck and tractor operators earn a median of $36,138 per year ($17.37/hour), above the New Mexico median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 364,914 industrial truck and tractor operators nationwide. In New Mexico alone, around 2,430 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 8,910 industrial truck and tractor operators.

Top New Mexico Metros for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

The metro areas below employ the most industrial truck and tractor operators in New Mexico.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Albuquerque, NM	1,720	$60,960
Las Cruces, NM	160	$40,690
Farmington, NM	70	$48,980
Santa Fe, NM	30	$43,210

Top States for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Employment

These states have the highest employment of industrial truck and tractor operators work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	106,350
California	103,090
Georgia	53,020
Pennsylvania	46,220
Ohio	37,440
Florida	32,390
Illinois	28,510
Indiana	27,890
North Carolina	25,640
Michigan	25,120
New York	19,630
Virginia	19,360
Tennessee	18,900
New Jersey	17,730
Alabama	16,870
Washington	16,310
Wisconsin	15,430
Arizona	14,760
Missouri	13,630
South Carolina	13,380

Highest-Paying States for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

The highest-paying states for industrial truck and tractor operators.

State	Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia	$81,470
New Mexico	$60,960
Delaware	$60,030
Hawaii	$58,070
Wyoming	$56,170
Alaska	$50,630
New Hampshire	$50,490
Oregon	$50,050
New York	$49,610
California	$48,720

Skills

The most important industrial truck and tractor operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for industrial truck and tractor operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Move levers or controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams with swivel-hooks, hoists, or elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, or stack material.
• Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
• Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
• Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
• Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
• Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
• Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.
• Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.
• Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.

Work Activities

• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Getting Information
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Scheduling Work and Activities

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD In-demand technologies: Warehouse management system WMS

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Ground Transportation

Related Careers

Related occupations to industrial truck and tractor operators include:

• Agricultural Equipment Operators
• Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
• Pile Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
• Continuous Mining Machine Operators

Also Known As

CAT Driver (Caterpillar Driver), CAT Operator (Caterpillar Operator), CAT Skinner (Caterpillar Skinner), CAT Tender (Caterpillar Tender), CAT Tractor Operator (Caterpillar Tractor Operator), Carry All Driver, Charging Car Operator, Checker Loader, Diesel Tractor Operator, Dolly Driver, Drier Transfer Car Operator, Electric Car Operator, Electric Dolly Operator, Electric Lift Truck Driver, Electric Mule Driver.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-7051.00