SOC 53-7011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Conveyor Operators and Tenders — West Virginia
West Virginia · 2 metro areas compared
At $62,830 a year, the median wage for Conveyor Operators and Tenders in West Virginia sits 48.1% above the national figure of $42,420.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -3.4%
- Openings per year
- 2,600
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
8.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for West Virginia.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $62,830 a year, the median wage for Conveyor Operators and Tenders in West Virginia sits 48.1% above the national figure of $42,420. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $60,810 and $70,830. The lowest tenth earn under $39,400, while the highest tenth earn more than $74,810.
The area has 580 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.8 of every thousand jobs. West Virginia ranks number 1st out of 44 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Wheeling records the highest median at $64,160. Of the 618 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 207th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39,400 | −7.1% |
| 25th | $60,810 | +43.4% |
| Median (50th) | $62,830 | +48.1% |
| 75th | $70,830 | +67.0% |
| 90th | $74,810 | +76.4% |
| Mean | $60,510 | +42.6% |
Highest-paying metro areas in West Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheeling | $64,160 | 160 | |
| 2 | Charleston | $62,820 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in West Virginia run 10.5% below the national average, so the median of $62,830 goes as far as $70,201 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 65.5% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$62,830as reported by BLSLocal price level
89.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$70,201US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $62,830 a year, 48.1% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $39,400 to $74,810 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 580 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 1st of 44 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Wheeling, at $64,160.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Conveyor Operators and Tenders in West Virginia?
The median annual wage is $62,830, or $30.21 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $42,420, so pay in West Virginia is 48.1% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in West Virginia earns more than $74,810 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $39,400 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Wheeling, at $64,160 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 580 jobs in this occupation in West Virginia. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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