Tanker Operator

Tanker Operator Salary

$28.5K

$50K

$80.5K

$54,518

/year

$26.21

/hour

Tanker Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$54,518

Columbus

Ohio

$52,659

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    How much does a Tanker Operator make?

    As of Aug 8, 2026, the average annual pay for a Tanker Operator in the United States is $54,518 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $26.21 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,048/week or $4,543/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $80,500 and as low as $28,500, the majority of Tanker Operator salaries currently range between $50,000 (25th percentile) to $58,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $77,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Tanker Operator varies greatly (by as much as 8000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Tanker Operator in your area makes on average $52,659 per year, or $1,859 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $54,518. Ohio ranks number 41 out of 50 states nationwide for Tanker Operator salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Tanker Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Tanker Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Tanker Operator Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Tanker Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Dendron, VA, , with Pennington County, SD, and Saco, ME, close behind in the second and third positions. Saco, ME, beats the national average by $13,854 (25.4%), and Dendron, VA, furthers that trend with another $18,546 (34.0%) above the $54,518 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Tanker Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 11% between Dendron, VA, and Philadelphia, PA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Tanker Operator role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Dendron, VA

    $73,064

    $35.13

    Pennington County, SD

    $70,595

    $33.94

    Saco, ME

    $68,372

    $32.87

    Quincy, MA

    $67,508

    $32.46

    Berkeley, CA

    $66,754

    $32.09

    East Amherst, NY

    $65,841

    $31.65

    Sitka, AK

    $65,677

    $31.58

    Plum, PA

    $65,493

    $31.49

    Catarina, TX

    $65,422

    $31.45

    Philadelphia, PA

    $65,323

    $31.41

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Tanker Operator Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Tanker Operator category.

    For example Senior Specialist Heavy Equipment Operator jobs pay as much as $39,057 (71.6%) more than the average Tanker Operator salary of $54,518. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Specialist Heavy Equipment Operator may help you make more money than that of the average Tanker Operator position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Senior Specialist Heavy Equipment Operator

    $93,575

    $44.99

    Heavy Equipment Inspector

    $57,698

    $27.74

    Internship Heavy Equipment Operator

    $45,960

    $22.10

    Extrusion Operator

    $40,023

    $19.24

    Underground Utilities

    $38,319

    $18.42

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Tanker Operator salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $54,518 per year or $26.21 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.