Occupation overview

Bridge and Lock Tenders Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for bridge and lock tenders is $57,700, or $27.74 per hour. About 3,040 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $78,020 in Washington to $28,090 in Florida.

Median annual
$57,700
Median hourly
$27.74
Entry level (P10)
$28,090
Top 10% (P90)
$75,360
Employment
3,040
States covered
23

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$28,090
$38,640
$57,700
$69,620
$28,090$57,700$75,360
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $57,700.

Salary by state

All 23 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Washington$78,020$37.51500.67
2Mississippi$74,730$35.93502.06
3Minnesota$74,420$35.78601.06
4Missouri$74,110$35.63400.73
5California$72,390$34.80800.24
6Iowa$70,890$34.08501.77
7Illinois$70,890$34.082902.45
8Pennsylvania$68,810$33.081100.95
9Alabama$66,830$32.13701.60
10West Virginia$65,460$31.47604.59
11Indiana$60,780$29.22600.94
12Tennessee$60,420$29.05600.92
13Ohio$58,410$28.081100.98
14Kentucky$58,220$27.991002.48
15Wisconsin$57,350$27.571101.90
16Massachusetts$55,830$26.84400.53
17New York$51,560$24.792101.13
18Michigan$50,540$24.301301.47
19Virginia$47,120$22.65400.47
20Texas$45,820$22.03700.25
21North Carolina$41,380$19.90500.49
22Louisiana$39,090$18.803709.76
23Florida$28,090$13.514702.44

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do bridge and lock tenders make?

The median annual wage for bridge and lock tenders in the United States is $57,700, or $27.74 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $28,090, and the top 10% earn $75,360.

How many bridge and lock tenders are employed in the U.S.?

About 3,040 people work as bridge and lock tenders nationwide.

Which state pays bridge and lock tenders the most?

Washington pays the most at a median of $78,020, followed by Mississippi ($74,730) and Minnesota ($74,420).

Which state pays bridge and lock tenders the least?

Florida has the lowest median at $28,090.

Where are bridge and lock tenders jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Louisiana at 9.76×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes