SOC 53-7051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators — Battle Creek
Battle Creek, MI · 10 metro areas compared
At $48,680, median pay for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Battle Creek, MI tracks the national median of $46,420 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +1.1%
- Openings per year
- 76,400
- 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.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Battle Creek, MI.
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 $48,680, median pay for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Battle Creek, MI tracks the national median of $46,420 closely. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $39,560 and $74,920. The lowest tenth earn under $36,760, while the highest tenth earn more than $74,930.
Employment stands at 250, or 4.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Flint leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $78,530. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 139th of 223 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,760 | −20.8% |
| 25th | $39,560 | −14.8% |
| Median (50th) | $48,680 | +4.9% |
| 75th | $74,920 | +61.4% |
| 90th | $74,930 | +61.4% |
| Mean | $54,500 | +17.4% |
Other metro areas in Michigan
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flint | $78,530 | 1,020 | |
| 2 | Ann Arbor | $48,340 | 250 | |
| 3 | Traverse City | $47,340 | 230 | |
| 4 | Detroit | $46,550 | 10,370 | |
| 5 | Bay City | $45,120 | 130 | |
| 6 | Lansing | $45,070 | 790 | |
| 7 | Kalamazoo | $44,920 | 520 | |
| 8 | Jackson | $43,460 | 230 | |
| 9 | Monroe | $42,990 | 270 | |
| 10 | Muskegon | $42,720 | 310 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Battle Creek run 9.5% below the national average, so the median of $48,680 goes as far as $53,790 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 15.9% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$48,680as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$53,790US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $48,680 a year, 4.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,760 to $74,930 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 250 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Flint, at $78,530.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Battle Creek, MI?
The median annual wage is $48,680, or $23.40 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 $46,420, so pay in Battle Creek, MI is 4.9% 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 Battle Creek, MI earns more than $74,930 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,760 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 Flint, at $78,530 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 250 jobs in this occupation in Battle Creek, MI. 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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