Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 2.1M employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$58,640
Median hourly
$28
Average annual
$59,710
Typical range
$40,140–$79,380
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is $58,640 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $28 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $40,140 and $79,380 a year. There are roughly 2.1M people employed as heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.
- Hourly
- $28.19
- Daily
- $226
- Weekly
- $1,128
- Bi-weekly
- $2,255
- Monthly
- $4,887
- Annual
- $58,640
$58,640 a year is around the 50th percentile for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driverss. The median is $58,640.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Alaska$70,100
- 2Washington$64,760
- 3District of Columbia$64,170
- 4New Jersey$63,570
- 5Massachusetts$63,030
- 6Nevada$62,290
- 7New York$62,050
- 8Minnesota$61,990
- 9Oregon$61,980
- 10Colorado$61,500
- 11North Dakota$60,910
- 12Vermont$60,830
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Lincoln, NE$81,790
- 2Fairbanks-College, AK$76,560
- 3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$71,240
- 4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$70,730
- 5Morristown, TN$67,330
- 6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$66,450
- 7Anchorage, AK$66,190
- 8New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$65,040
- 9Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$64,200
- 10Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$64,010
- 11Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$63,900
- 12Boulder, CO$63,810
Related job titles
Employers advertise Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers roles under these titles.
- Armored Truck Driver
- Automotive Carrier Driver (Auto Carrier Driver)
- Automotive Crane Driver (Auto Crane Driver)
- Automotive Haulaway Driver (Auto Haulaway Driver)
- Automotive Hauler (Auto Hauler)
- Automotive Transport Driver (Auto Transport Driver)
- Basket Operator
- Batch Mixing Truck Driver
- Bull Driver
- Car Ferrier
- Car Pickup Driver
- Car Pilot
- Carrier Driver
- CDL Driver (Commercial Driver's License Driver)
- Cement Mixer Driver
- Cement Truck Driver
Related occupations
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420
- Light Truck Drivers$44,860
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$58,870
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining$74,500
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
- Taxi Drivers$42,100
- Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs$37,290
What a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers does
- Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
- Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
- Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
- Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.
- Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes.
- Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
- Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers make?
- The median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is $58,640 ($28 per hour). Pay ranges from about $40,140 at the 10th percentile to $79,380 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $59,710, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driverss the most?
- Alaska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $70,100.
- Is Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 2.1M people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers do?
- Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.; Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.; Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles..