The median annual wage of material moving machine operators was $30,800 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,780, and the top 10 percent earned more than $49,100.
The median wages for material moving machine operator occupations in May 2010 were the following:
Many material moving machine operators are members of a union.
Most material movers work full time and have 8-hour shifts, although longer shifts and overtime are common. Because materials are shipped around the clock, some operators—especially those in warehousing—work overnight shifts.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition