Bridge and Lock Tenders Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 53-6011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$57,699
$27.74/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Bridge and Lock Tenders is $57,699 per year ($27.74/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $38,646 and $69,618 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $75,358 per year. There are approximately 3,040 bridge and lock tenders employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate and tend bridges, canal locks, and lighthouses to permit marine passage on inland waterways, near shores, and at danger points in waterway passages. May supervise such operations. Includes drawbridge operators, lock operators, and slip bridge operators.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-3.3%
Slower than average
Annual openings
300
per year, on avg
Workforce today
3K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
1K
$69,200
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
700
$48,950
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
530
$43,100
Support Activities for Road Transportation
NAICS 488400
340
$28,090
Rail Transportation
NAICS 482100
200
$57,730
Wage range across top 5 industries: $28,090 to $69,200 (146% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.51
$28,101
P25
$18.58
$38,646
P50MEDIAN
$27.74
$57,699
P75
$33.47
$69,618
P90
$36.23
$75,358
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average bridge and lock tenders salary?
The national median salary for Bridge and Lock Tenders is $57,699 per year ($27.74/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $38,646 and $69,618 annually.
How much do top-earning bridge and lock tenders make?
The 90th percentile salary for Bridge and Lock Tenders is $75,358 per year ($36.23/hr). The 75th percentile is $69,618 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for bridge and lock tenders?
Entry-level Bridge and Lock Tenders (10th percentile) earn approximately $28,101 per year ($13.51/hr). The 25th percentile is $38,646 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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