Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary (2024) — Pay by Metro Area
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn a national median of $57,440 per year. Because pay tracks local labour markets, the same job ranges from $49,320 in the cheapest metro covered to $69,290 in the most expensive — a 40% gap for identical work. This page ranks 25 metro areas with released data.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers pay by metro area
Ranked by median annual wage among the metro areas with published estimates for this occupation. Local cost of living is not applied — a lower median in a cheaper metro can still leave more in your pocket.
| Metro area | Hourly | Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY — NY | $31.36 | $65,220 | 64,440 |
| Los Angeles, CA — CA | $28.63 | $59,560 | 63,940 |
| Dallas, TX — TX | $27.51 | $57,220 | 59,200 |
| Chicago, IL — IL | $30.01 | $62,430 | 54,680 |
| Houston, TX — TX | $26.68 | $55,500 | 49,210 |
| Riverside, CA — CA | $29.17 | $60,680 | 42,710 |
| Atlanta, GA — GA | $28.30 | $58,860 | 42,520 |
| Phoenix, AZ — AZ | $27.03 | $56,220 | 31,680 |
| Philadelphia, PA — PA | $28.85 | $60,000 | 29,090 |
| Miami, FL — FL | $24.38 | $50,710 | 26,380 |
| Detroit, MI — MI | $26.84 | $55,830 | 26,140 |
| Seattle, WA — WA | $33.31 | $69,290 | 21,220 |
| Washington, DC — DC | $28.39 | $59,050 | 20,890 |
| Boston, MA — MA | $29.58 | $61,530 | 20,220 |
| Minneapolis, MN — MN | $30.37 | $63,170 | 19,770 |
| Charlotte, NC — NC | $24.97 | $51,930 | 19,280 |
| St. Louis, MO — MO | $26.90 | $55,960 | 18,080 |
| San Francisco, CA — CA | $30.87 | $64,210 | 16,870 |
| Denver, CO — CO | $30.23 | $62,880 | 15,420 |
| Tampa, FL — FL | $23.92 | $49,760 | 15,410 |
| Portland, OR — OR | $30.53 | $63,500 | 14,460 |
| Orlando, FL — FL | $23.71 | $49,320 | 13,960 |
| Baltimore, MD — MD | $27.31 | $56,800 | 12,370 |
| San Diego, CA — CA | $28.60 | $59,480 | 10,490 |
| Austin, TX — TX | $26.88 | $55,900 | 10,330 |
The gap between New York, NY ($65,220) and Austin, TX ($55,900) is 17% . For heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers this mainly reflects industry mix and regional price levels rather than a difference in the work itself. The middle metro sits at $59,050, which is the better single number for a "typical" market than either extreme.
Frequently asked questions
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in the United States?
The national median for this occupation is $57,440 per year, across all areas including non-metropolitan ones. Metro-level medians for this occupation range from $49,320 to $69,290, with a middle value of $59,050.
Which metro area pays heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers the most?
New York, NY pays the most among the metros covered, at a median of $65,220, with about 64,440 people employed in the occupation.
Which metro area pays heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers the least?
Austin, TX sits at the bottom of the range, with a median of $55,900.
Do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn more in large cities?
Usually, but not always. Large metros tend to show higher nominal pay because they concentrate high-wage industries and a higher cost of living. The spread above is nominal — it is not adjusted for local prices, so a lower median in a cheaper metro can still buy more.
About these figures
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. The US figure on this page is an employment-weighted benchmark computed across the metro areas covered by this site, not the official national OEWS median, which BLS publishes separately. OEWS excludes self-employed workers and reports wages only, not benefits or total compensation.
See the methodology for how the benchmark and the metro ranking are derived.