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Bridge and Lock Tender Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of bridge and lock tenders are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of bridge and lock tenders within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The bridge and lock tenders annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Bridge and Lock Tender Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$26,630
25th Percentile Wage
$30,370
50th Percentile Wage
$47,280
75th Percentile Wage
$61,380
90th Percentile Wage
$67,330

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for bridge and lock tenders. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) bridge and lock tenders is $67,330. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $47,280. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $26,630. Notice that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 152% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of bridge and lock tenders from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$47,280
4.00% 2.83%
2021
$45,390
-15.31% -
2020
$52,340
4.26% -
2019
$50,110
-0.42% -
2018
$50,320
0.16% -
2017
$50,240
2.29% -
2016
$49,090
1.16% -
2015
$48,520
0.82% -
2014
$48,120
3.66% -
2013
$46,360
0.91% -
2012
$45,940
- -

Table 2. Bridge and Lock Tender Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of bridge and lock tenders in 4 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for bridge and lock tenders occupations is the federal, state, and local government sector with an annual salary $54,160. The lowest paying sector is the construction sector (annual salary $27,330).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Federal, State, and Local Government
$54,160
Transportation and Warehousing
$53,490
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$44,890
Construction
$27,330

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Bridge and Lock Tenders by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only bridge and lock tenders salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of bridge and lock tenders in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $27,330 to $71,930. The highest paying state for bridge and lock tenders is Washington with a median annual salary of $71,930. The lowest paying state is Florida with a median annual salary of $27,330. For more salary information of bridge and lock tenders profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Washington
$71,930
Minnesota
$65,190
Illinois
$64,730
Missouri
$64,730
Iowa
$64,210
Alabama
$64,150
Indiana
$62,130
Mississippi
$61,670
Michigan
$60,670
Pennsylvania
$59,740
West Virginia
$59,360
Tennessee
$59,340
New Jersey
$59,010
Oklahoma
$57,390
Texas
$55,690
Arkansas
$52,340
California
$52,210
Ohio
$50,790
Wisconsin
$50,590
South Carolina
$49,260
New York
$46,890
Kentucky
$45,510
Virginia
$40,350
North Carolina
$38,780
Oregon
$38,590
Georgia
$37,340
Louisiana
$37,210
Massachusetts
$32,100
Maryland
$30,950
Florida
$27,330