Average Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is $58,640 per year. The middle 50% earn between $47,960 and $69,120, with 2,062,040 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 393 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $40,140
- 25th
- $47,960
- Median
- $58,640
- 75th
- $69,120
- 90th
- $79,380
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +4.0%
- 89,300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 237,600
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Postsecondary training beyond high school is typically required, but a full four-year degree is not always necessary.
Where Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is Alaska at $70,100, about 19.5% above the national median. At the metro level, Lincoln, NE leads with a median of $81,790.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $70,100 | 3,420 |
| Washington | $64,760 | 40,530 |
| District of Columbia | $64,170 | 830 |
| New Jersey | $63,570 | 47,980 |
| Massachusetts | $63,030 | 30,890 |
| Nevada | $62,290 | 15,010 |
| New York | $62,050 | 63,700 |
| Minnesota | $61,990 | 38,770 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $81,790 | 4,530 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $76,560 | 590 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $71,240 | 21,230 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $70,730 | 5,360 |
| Morristown, TN | $67,330 | 1,470 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,450 | 16,450 |
| Anchorage, AK | $66,190 | 1,620 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $65,040 | 65,100 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers rose from $45,260 to $58,640, a gain of +29.6% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $45,260 would need to be worth $56,995 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $58,640 is $1,645 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +2.9% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 29.6%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +29.6%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +2.9%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $58,640
- 2024
- $57,440
- 2023
- $54,320
- 2022
- $49,920
- 2021
- $48,310
- 2020
- $47,130
- 2019
- $45,260
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Bus Drivers, School
- $47,920
- Light Truck Drivers
- $44,860
- Taxi Drivers
- $42,100
- Driver/Sales Workers
- $38,770
- Shuttle Drivers And Chauffeurs
- $37,290
Common salary questions for Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.