Parking Attendants
Median $35,150
Occupation · SOC 53-6011
Bridge and Lock Tenders: pay and where the jobs are
What bridge and lock tenders earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$57,700 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $55,370
- Median hourly wage
- $27.74
- Mean hourly wage
- $26.62
- Employment
- 3,040
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-6011.
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See where your pay falls among bridge and lock tenders nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do bridge and lock tenders make?
The median annual wage for bridge and lock tenders was $57,700 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,090 and the highest-paid 10% more than $75,360. As an hourly rate, the median is $27.74. About 3,040 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Washington ($78,020), Mississippi ($74,730) and Minnesota ($74,420). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Mississippi.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for bridge and lock tenders looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,090 | $13.51 | $2,341 | $2,062 |
| 25th percentile | $38,640 | $18.58 | $3,220 | $2,769 |
| Median | $57,700 | $27.74 | $4,808 | $4,045 |
| 75th percentile | $69,620 | $33.47 | $5,802 | $4,817 |
| 90th percentile | $75,360 | $36.23 | $6,280 | $5,154 |
Bridge and Lock Tenders: pay by state
23 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$68,020 take-home in national prices
2
$64,560 take-home in national prices
3
$64,328 take-home in national prices
Where a median bridge and lock tender paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 50 | $78,020 | $70,260 | $83,930 | $62,635 | $58,530 |
| Mississippi | 50 | $74,730 | $31,250 | $74,730 | $59,145 | $68,020 |
| Minnesota | 60 | $74,420 | $63,810 | $77,710 | $57,320 | $58,121 |
| Missouri | 40 | $74,110 | $63,360 | $78,460 | $58,421 | $64,328 |
| California | 80 | $72,390 | $48,440 | $86,960 | $56,250 | $50,803 |
| Illinois | 290 | $70,890 | $55,190 | $86,390 | $55,337 | $55,360 |
| Iowa | 50 | $70,890 | $63,360 | $74,420 | $56,659 | $64,560 |
| Pennsylvania | 110 | $68,810 | $61,570 | $72,920 | $55,077 | $56,448 |
| Alabama | 70 | $66,830 | $49,900 | $74,730 | $53,037 | $59,711 |
| West Virginia | 60 | $65,460 | $60,760 | $69,620 | $52,668 | $58,849 |
| Indiana | 60 | $60,780 | $48,420 | $71,610 | $49,253 | $52,774 |
| Tennessee | 60 | $60,420 | $49,900 | $65,060 | $50,727 | $55,217 |
| Ohio | 110 | $58,410 | $44,500 | $72,920 | $47,950 | $51,684 |
| Kentucky | 100 | $58,220 | $47,410 | $71,610 | $47,040 | $52,174 |
| Wisconsin | 110 | $57,350 | $41,260 | $75,000 | $46,322 | $49,229 |
| Massachusetts | 40 | $55,830 | $48,050 | $68,710 | $44,211 | $41,804 |
| New York | 210 | $51,560 | $32,240 | $71,360 | $41,167 | $38,146 |
| Michigan | 130 | $50,540 | $32,210 | $75,520 | $40,892 | $42,499 |
| Virginia | 40 | $47,120 | $38,160 | $78,100 | $38,146 | $37,729 |
| Texas | 70 | $45,820 | $31,850 | $74,240 | $38,996 | $40,179 |
| North Carolina | 50 | $41,380 | $34,230 | $45,860 | $34,286 | $36,349 |
| Louisiana | 370 | $39,090 | $33,390 | $81,100 | $32,802 | $37,188 |
| Florida | 470 | $28,090 | $27,040 | $50,640 | $24,742 | $23,925 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-6011. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.