Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Iowa employs 145,400 Transportation & Material Moving professionals across 34 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Transportation & Material Moving industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Transportation & Material Moving in Iowa, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Transportation & Material Moving industry in Iowa, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $131,730 | $144,660 | 100 | $63/hr |
| 2 | Transportation Inspectors | $116,850 | $113,620 | 60 | $56/hr |
| 3 | Commercial Pilots | $101,800 | $124,640 | 300 | $48/hr |
| 4 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $97,700 | $91,380 | 80 | $46/hr |
| 5 | Air Traffic Controllers | $90,790 | $91,670 | 120 | $43/hr |
| 6 | Locomotive Engineers | $89,970 | $86,180 | 1,000 | $43/hr |
| 7 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $80,910 | $74,180 | 220 | $38/hr |
| 8 | Bridge and Lock Tenders | $70,890 | $69,410 | 50 | $34/hr |
| 9 | Traffic Technicians | $68,100 | $63,520 | 30 | $32/hr |
| 10 | Crane and Tower Operators | $67,600 | $67,390 | 650 | $32/hr |
| 11 | First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $60,490 | $63,370 | 6,480 | $29/hr |
| 12 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,070 | $60,070 | 35,040 | $27/hr |
| 13 | Dredge Operators | $57,990 | $60,620 | 60 | $27/hr |
| 14 | Conveyor Operators and Tenders | $56,900 | $54,950 | 590 | $27/hr |
| 15 | Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $55,030 | $62,440 | N/A | $26/hr |
| 16 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | $51,450 | $52,970 | 180 | $24/hr |
| 17 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | $49,850 | $51,120 | 1,780 | $23/hr |
| 18 | Airfield Operations Specialists | $48,870 | $47,530 | 40 | $23/hr |
| 19 | Sailors and Marine Oilers | $48,100 | $49,590 | 70 | $23/hr |
| 20 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $47,590 | $48,870 | 7,770 | $22/hr |
| 21 | Driver/Sales Workers | $47,120 | $45,260 | 4,400 | $22/hr |
| 22 | Bus Drivers, School | $46,320 | $47,980 | 4,840 | $22/hr |
| 23 | Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | $45,890 | $46,150 | 1,560 | $22/hr |
| 24 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | $45,250 | $46,110 | 560 | $21/hr |
| 25 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $43,490 | $43,520 | 30,890 | $20/hr |
| 26 | Light Truck Drivers | $42,750 | $46,700 | 9,680 | $20/hr |
| 27 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | $37,470 | $38,330 | 4,090 | $18/hr |
| 28 | Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,640 | $38,680 | 26,770 | $17/hr |
| 29 | Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | $36,090 | $36,590 | 370 | $17/hr |
| 30 | Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | $35,920 | $36,040 | 4,190 | $17/hr |
| 31 | Aircraft Service Attendants | $35,560 | $37,470 | 160 | $17/hr |
| 32 | Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs | $32,580 | $33,660 | 1,880 | $15/hr |
| 33 | Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants | $30,810 | $34,360 | 340 | $14/hr |
| 34 | Parking Attendants | $30,070 | $30,220 | 1,050 | $14/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Iowa:
Iowa has 34 Transportation & Material Moving occupations with 145,400 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Transportation & Material Moving occupation in Iowa is Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers with a median salary of $131,730/year.
The average median salary across 34 Transportation & Material Moving occupations in Iowa is $58,725/year.
Salaries in Transportation & Material Moving in Iowa range from $18,320 (entry-level) to $201,080 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Transportation & Material Moving occupations use SOC prefix 53. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 53* in Iowa. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources