SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers’ license. Includes tow truck drivers. Excludes “Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors” (53-7081).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 53-3032.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $40,140 | $3,345 | $772 | $19.30 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $47,960 | $3,997 | $922 | $23.06 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $58,640 | $4,887 | $1,128 | $28.19 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $69,120 | $5,760 | $1,329 | $33.23 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $79,380 | $6,615 | $1,527 | $38.17 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is $58,640, which is 15% higher. Among the 50 occupations of the field Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks number 21 by median pay. With 2,062,040 jobs, it makes up about 133 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Alaska ($70,100), Washington ($64,760) and District of Columbia ($64,170). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($25,510), Guam ($38,760) and Virgin Islands ($43,270). The most jobs were in Texas (209,680), California (205,090) and Florida (112,920). The occupation is most concentrated in North Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 2.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 3,420 | $70,100 | $69,520 | $33.70 |
| Washington | 40,530 | $64,760 | $68,230 | $31.13 |
| District of Columbia | 830 | $64,170 | $67,710 | $30.85 |
| New Jersey | 47,980 | $63,570 | $66,770 | $30.56 |
| Massachusetts | 30,890 | $63,030 | $63,570 | $30.30 |
| Nevada | 15,010 | $62,290 | $65,010 | $29.95 |
| New York | 63,700 | $62,050 | $65,780 | $29.83 |
| Minnesota | 38,770 | $61,990 | $63,630 | $29.80 |
| Oregon | 23,970 | $61,980 | $64,080 | $29.80 |
| Colorado | 25,350 | $61,500 | $63,650 | $29.57 |
| North Dakota | 11,870 | $60,910 | $63,330 | $29.29 |
| Vermont | 3,560 | $60,830 | $61,100 | $29.25 |
| Utah | 25,060 | $60,620 | $60,900 | $29.15 |
| Connecticut | 15,740 | $60,490 | $61,980 | $29.08 |
| Illinois | 84,200 | $60,320 | $62,430 | $29.00 |
| Wyoming | 6,050 | $60,310 | $63,180 | $28.99 |
| Indiana | 59,090 | $60,290 | $60,950 | $28.99 |
| New Hampshire | 6,960 | $60,280 | $60,600 | $28.98 |
| California | 205,090 | $60,230 | $62,020 | $28.96 |
| Rhode Island | 3,620 | $60,190 | $59,660 | $28.94 |
| Hawaii | 4,070 | $59,820 | $60,850 | $28.76 |
| Ohio | 83,060 | $59,800 | $60,660 | $28.75 |
| Maryland | 29,150 | $59,360 | $60,590 | $28.54 |
| Kansas | 24,220 | $58,920 | $60,480 | $28.33 |
| Montana | 7,830 | $58,870 | $59,180 | $28.30 |
| Idaho | 15,920 | $58,770 | $59,160 | $28.26 |
| South Dakota | 6,470 | $58,690 | $58,550 | $28.21 |
| Tennessee | 64,890 | $58,620 | $60,440 | $28.18 |
| Wisconsin | 53,330 | $58,610 | $58,890 | $28.18 |
| Pennsylvania | 87,550 | $58,580 | $59,640 | $28.16 |
| Nebraska | 23,160 | $58,390 | $60,070 | $28.07 |
| Arizona | 40,150 | $58,080 | $58,870 | $27.92 |
| Iowa | 35,040 | $58,070 | $60,070 | $27.92 |
| Delaware | 9,040 | $57,590 | $57,380 | $27.69 |
| Michigan | 60,800 | $57,180 | $56,370 | $27.49 |
| Georgia | 74,840 | $57,050 | $57,780 | $27.43 |
| Maine | 9,980 | $57,050 | $55,980 | $27.43 |
| Virginia | 48,750 | $56,860 | $57,770 | $27.34 |
| Kentucky | 31,760 | $56,340 | $59,870 | $27.09 |
| Texas | 209,680 | $56,290 | $57,990 | $27.06 |
| Missouri | 47,760 | $54,550 | $56,830 | $26.23 |
| Oklahoma | 27,840 | $54,410 | $57,670 | $26.16 |
| Alabama | 36,650 | $52,120 | $56,230 | $25.06 |
| Mississippi | 24,160 | $51,820 | $55,910 | $24.92 |
| Arkansas | 32,220 | $51,550 | $57,390 | $24.79 |
| North Carolina | 62,400 | $51,530 | $55,810 | $24.77 |
| South Carolina | 34,170 | $51,130 | $55,680 | $24.58 |
| Florida | 112,920 | $50,640 | $54,850 | $24.34 |
| New Mexico | 11,820 | $50,500 | $53,100 | $24.28 |
| West Virginia | 12,190 | $49,480 | $52,440 | $23.79 |
| Louisiana | 28,540 | $49,320 | $51,930 | $23.71 |
| Virgin Islands | 240 | $43,270 | $45,230 | $20.80 |
| Guam | 480 | $38,760 | $39,870 | $18.64 |
| Puerto Rico | 10,480 | $25,510 | $27,390 | $12.26 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Traffic Technicians$59,090 a year
- Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity$59,050 a year
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$58,870 a year
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors$58,170 a year
- Bridge and Lock Tenders$57,700 a year
- Airfield Operations Specialists$56,850 a year
Common questions
How much do Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $58,640 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $40,140 and the highest-paid 10% more than $79,380.
How many people work as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers?
About 2,062,040 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.