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Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary by State
There were an estimated 2,070,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) truck driver earned $57,440 a year, or $27.62 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $58,400. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earned $38,640 or less, the bottom quarter earned $47,230 or less, the top quarter earned at least $65,520, and the top 10% earned at least $78,800. Where a truck driver works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is in Alaska, at $64,890 a year — 13.0% higher than the national median of $57,440. Next are New Jersey at $64,720 and Washington at $63,760. At the other end, New Mexico posts the lowest published median, $48,360, which is 15.8% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 1.3 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the truck driver jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. Texas alone employs 212,700 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and the three largest states — Texas, California, and Florida — together account for 26% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, Texas, runs at a median of $53,070, 7.6% lower than the national median, so the biggest job market is not the highest-paying option. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Truck Driver salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 3,240 | $31.20 | $64,890 | $66,890 | $81,050 |
| New Jersey | 49,450 | $31.12 | $64,720 | $67,630 | $89,130 |
| Washington | 40,700 | $30.66 | $63,760 | $67,060 | $88,710 |
| District of Columbia | 830 | $30.58 | $63,610 | $66,740 | $90,170 |
| Oregon | 24,720 | $29.41 | $61,180 | $63,890 | $82,680 |
| Minnesota | 38,530 | $29.37 | $61,090 | $62,110 | $80,860 |
| Nevada | 17,430 | $29.28 | $60,900 | $61,760 | $78,480 |
| Massachusetts | 32,170 | $29.15 | $60,630 | $59,300 | $75,220 |
| New York | 61,410 | $29.10 | $60,520 | $64,410 | $90,150 |
| Wyoming | 6,530 | $28.98 | $60,270 | $63,220 | $82,610 |
| Colorado | 27,840 | $28.97 | $60,260 | $61,750 | $80,150 |
| Indiana | 57,870 | $28.89 | $60,090 | $61,160 | $78,880 |
| California | 211,740 | $28.82 | $59,950 | $60,490 | $80,310 |
| Illinois | 76,650 | $28.75 | $59,790 | $61,230 | $84,770 |
| Rhode Island | 3,260 | $28.71 | $59,710 | $59,870 | $74,840 |
| Utah | 24,280 | $28.64 | $59,580 | $59,460 | $77,270 |
| Hawaii | 4,100 | $28.52 | $59,320 | $58,140 | $71,330 |
| Montana | 7,050 | $28.40 | $59,060 | $59,050 | $73,700 |
| North Dakota | 10,510 | $28.35 | $58,970 | $59,840 | $78,070 |
| Connecticut | 15,860 | $28.22 | $58,700 | $57,710 | $73,550 |
| New Hampshire | 6,730 | $28.18 | $58,620 | $59,120 | $73,050 |
| Pennsylvania | 90,160 | $28.14 | $58,540 | $58,620 | $76,660 |
| Delaware | 5,950 | $28.13 | $58,510 | $57,660 | $74,010 |
| Ohio Detailed guide | 91,090 | $27.92 | $58,080 | $59,700 | $79,890 |
| Nebraska | 24,160 | $27.86 | $57,940 | $60,150 | $92,890 |
| Wisconsin | 52,980 | $27.59 | $57,380 | $56,980 | $74,580 |
| Maryland | 23,910 | $27.49 | $57,180 | $58,590 | $77,340 |
| Kansas | 23,250 | $27.37 | $56,940 | $59,350 | $78,800 |
| South Dakota | 5,990 | $27.35 | $56,880 | $58,150 | $80,600 |
| Georgia | 75,700 | $27.20 | $56,570 | $57,190 | $78,480 |
| Vermont | 3,370 | $27.10 | $56,360 | $57,050 | $70,770 |
| Tennessee | 63,130 | $26.74 | $55,610 | $57,670 | $80,000 |
| Kentucky | 33,430 | $26.73 | $55,590 | $60,060 | $93,030 |
| Michigan | 59,910 | $26.51 | $55,140 | $55,090 | $72,690 |
| Iowa | 37,430 | $26.48 | $55,080 | $58,350 | $79,290 |
| Virginia | 55,430 | $26.20 | $54,500 | $56,990 | $77,590 |
| Arizona | 42,270 | $25.81 | $53,690 | $55,420 | $74,970 |
| Idaho | 14,860 | $25.60 | $53,260 | $55,340 | $71,520 |
| Texas Detailed guide | 212,700 | $25.51 | $53,070 | $56,470 | $78,470 |
| Maine | 10,180 | $24.97 | $51,930 | $53,960 | $66,720 |
| Oklahoma | 29,080 | $24.96 | $51,920 | $56,300 | $77,710 |
| South Carolina | 32,700 | $24.91 | $51,810 | $55,110 | $75,360 |
| Mississippi | 25,490 | $24.38 | $50,700 | $55,240 | $81,560 |
| Missouri | 47,530 | $24.30 | $50,540 | $54,480 | $77,080 |
| Alabama | 37,490 | $24.09 | $50,120 | $54,040 | $75,070 |
| Florida Detailed guide | 105,730 | $24.04 | $50,000 | $54,360 | $75,910 |
| North Carolina | 64,610 | $23.84 | $49,580 | $53,990 | $73,040 |
| Arkansas | 32,290 | $23.81 | $49,520 | $56,570 | $84,200 |
| West Virginia | 11,560 | $23.58 | $49,040 | $51,920 | $70,900 |
| Louisiana | 26,260 | $23.45 | $48,770 | $51,310 | $71,540 |
| New Mexico | 10,850 | $23.25 | $48,360 | $51,530 | $65,060 |
Truck Driver wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | 310 | $22.34 | $46,460 | $45,770 | $56,330 |
| Guam | 490 | $17.88 | $37,190 | $38,560 | $47,230 |
| Puerto Rico | 9,970 | $10.95 | $22,770 | $24,660 | $31,200 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $58,400 sits above the median of $57,440 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Truck Driver salary FAQ
What is the average truck driver salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $58,400 in May 2024, with a median of $57,440 ($27.62 an hour) across 2,070,480 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers the most?
Alaska has the highest median pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, at $64,890 a year in May 2024 — 13.0% higher than the national median of $57,440.
Which state pays heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, New Mexico has the lowest median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, at $48,360 a year, 15.8% lower than the national median.
How many heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 2,070,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is Texas, with 212,700 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.