How much do truck drivers make?
Truck drivers make $58,640 a year at the national median, and the middle half earn between $47,960 and $69,120.[onet_truck][oews] BLS counts heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (SOC 53-3032): drivers of tractor-trailers or trucks of at least 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight, who need a commercial driver’s license.[onet_truck_sum] With 2,062,040 jobs in May 2025, it is the largest occupation on this site.[oews_api]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $40,140 | $19.30 | $34,432 |
| 25th | $47,960 | $23.06 | $40,716 |
| Median (50th) | $58,640 | $28.19 | $49,297 |
| 75th | $69,120 | $33.23 | $57,456 |
| 90th | $79,380 | $38.16 | $64,674 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Many drivers are paid by the mile, by the load or a share of the load’s revenue rather than by the hour. BLS turns all of these into an hourly equivalent on a 2,080-hour year, so the hourly figure is a way to compare jobs, not a clock rate.[oews_faq] Owner-operators are self-employed and are not in these numbers.
Truck driver pay and hours on the road
Federal hours-of-service rules cap what a property-carrying driver can work: no more than 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, no driving after the 14th hour on duty, a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and no driving after 60 hours on duty in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, reset by 34 hours off.[hos] Those caps limit how many miles, and so how much mileage pay, a driver can earn in a week.
| Percentile | Yearly | Per week | Per month | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $40,140 | $772 | $3,345 | $34,432 |
| 25th | $47,960 | $922 | $3,997 | $40,716 |
| Median | $58,640 | $1,128 | $4,887 | $49,297 |
| 75th | $69,120 | $1,329 | $5,760 | $57,456 |
| 90th | $79,380 | $1,527 | $6,615 | $64,674 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax and FICA, before state tax.
Federal overtime law does not require overtime pay for most interstate truck drivers, which is one reason trucking jobs are rarely quoted per hour; check the pay plan in the offer.[flsa_mc]
Truck driver salary by state
Alaska pays truck drivers the most at a median of $70,100, followed by Washington ($64,760) and District of Columbia ($64,170); Louisiana pays the least at $49,320.[onet_truck][oews_api] Texas has the most heavy-truck jobs of any state, 209,680. Texas (209,680 jobs) has a median of $56,290 and California (205,090) $60,230.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alaska | $70,100 | $33.70 | $48,080 | $90,610 | 3,420 |
| 2. Washington | $64,760 | $31.13 | $50,010 | $87,500 | 40,530 |
| 3. District of Columbia | $64,170 | $30.85 | $51,500 | $84,000 | 830 |
| 4. New Jersey | $63,570 | $30.56 | $47,950 | $90,310 | 47,980 |
| 5. Massachusetts | $63,030 | $30.30 | $47,080 | $78,480 | 30,890 |
| 6. Nevada | $62,290 | $29.95 | $45,860 | $83,090 | 15,010 |
| 7. New York | $62,050 | $29.83 | $47,880 | $88,100 | 63,700 |
| 8. Minnesota | $61,990 | $29.80 | $45,910 | $81,830 | 38,770 |
| 9. Oregon | $61,980 | $29.80 | $47,700 | $81,220 | 23,970 |
| 10. Colorado | $61,500 | $29.57 | $47,010 | $80,570 | 25,350 |
| 11. North Dakota | $60,910 | $29.28 | $47,990 | $83,330 | 11,870 |
| 12. Vermont | $60,830 | $29.25 | $48,900 | $74,700 | 3,560 |
| 13. Utah | $60,620 | $29.14 | $44,320 | $76,360 | 25,060 |
| 14. Connecticut | $60,490 | $29.08 | $47,160 | $77,360 | 15,740 |
| 15. Illinois | $60,320 | $29.00 | $39,710 | $86,300 | 84,200 |
| 16. Wyoming | $60,310 | $29.00 | $45,860 | $84,670 | 6,050 |
| 17. Indiana | $60,290 | $28.99 | $42,060 | $79,000 | 59,090 |
| 18. New Hampshire | $60,280 | $28.98 | $47,370 | $74,200 | 6,960 |
| 19. California | $60,230 | $28.96 | $41,830 | $81,960 | 205,090 |
| 20. Rhode Island | $60,190 | $28.94 | $45,600 | $75,120 | 3,620 |
| 21. Hawaii | $59,820 | $28.76 | $47,480 | $74,530 | 4,070 |
| 22. Ohio | $59,800 | $28.75 | $43,670 | $77,650 | 83,060 |
| 23. Maryland | $59,360 | $28.54 | $43,670 | $79,130 | 29,150 |
| 24. Kansas | $58,920 | $28.33 | $43,760 | $78,910 | 24,220 |
| 25. Montana | $58,870 | $28.30 | $46,040 | $74,120 | 7,830 |
| 26. Idaho | $58,770 | $28.25 | $43,360 | $77,120 | 15,920 |
| 27. South Dakota | $58,690 | $28.22 | $41,590 | $78,610 | 6,470 |
| 28. Tennessee | $58,620 | $28.18 | $39,960 | $83,280 | 64,890 |
| 29. Wisconsin | $58,610 | $28.18 | $44,920 | $76,380 | 53,330 |
| 30. Pennsylvania | $58,580 | $28.16 | $43,560 | $78,330 | 87,550 |
| 31. Nebraska | $58,390 | $28.07 | $40,150 | $81,790 | 23,160 |
| 32. Arizona | $58,080 | $27.92 | $42,580 | $76,550 | 40,150 |
| 33. Iowa | $58,070 | $27.92 | $42,390 | $77,910 | 35,040 |
| 34. Delaware | $57,590 | $27.69 | $46,850 | $69,770 | 9,040 |
| 35. Michigan | $57,180 | $27.49 | $40,280 | $73,980 | 60,800 |
| 36. Georgia | $57,050 | $27.43 | $38,150 | $77,900 | 74,840 |
| 37. Maine | $57,050 | $27.43 | $40,810 | $71,100 | 9,980 |
| 38. Virginia | $56,860 | $27.34 | $38,180 | $77,040 | 48,750 |
| 39. Kentucky | $56,340 | $27.09 | $38,670 | $85,630 | 31,760 |
| 40. Texas | $56,290 | $27.06 | $38,150 | $79,400 | 209,680 |
| 41. Missouri | $54,550 | $26.23 | $37,860 | $77,510 | 47,760 |
| 42. Oklahoma | $54,410 | $26.16 | $37,420 | $80,330 | 27,840 |
| 43. Alabama | $52,120 | $25.06 | $38,240 | $77,620 | 36,650 |
| 44. Mississippi | $51,820 | $24.91 | $35,710 | $79,550 | 24,160 |
| 45. Arkansas | $51,550 | $24.78 | $36,770 | $81,110 | 32,220 |
| 46. North Carolina | $51,530 | $24.77 | $39,400 | $76,360 | 62,400 |
| 47. South Carolina | $51,130 | $24.58 | $39,330 | $77,070 | 34,170 |
| 48. Florida | $50,640 | $24.35 | $37,700 | $74,330 | 112,920 |
| 49. New Mexico | $50,500 | $24.28 | $38,540 | $65,990 | 11,820 |
| 50. West Virginia | $49,480 | $23.79 | $36,350 | $72,230 | 12,190 |
| 51. Louisiana | $49,320 | $23.71 | $36,710 | $68,740 | 28,540 |
Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025.
Highest-paying areas for truck drivers
Lincoln, NE has the highest heavy-truck driver median, $81,790.[onet_truck]
| Area | Median | Hourly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lincoln, NE | $81,790 | $39.32 |
| 2. Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area | $79,070 | $38.01 |
| 3. Fairbanks-College, AK | $76,560 | $36.81 |
| 4. Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $72,090 | $34.66 |
| 5. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $71,240 | $34.25 |
| 6. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $70,730 | $34.00 |
| 7. Morristown, TN | $67,330 | $32.37 |
| 8. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,450 | $31.95 |
| 9. Anchorage, AK | $66,190 | $31.82 |
| 10. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $65,040 | $31.27 |
Getting a CDL
A first-time Class A or B CDL now requires entry-level driver training from a provider on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry, and interstate drivers must be at least 21.[eldt609][cfr391] Public college programs we checked charge about $4,700 to $6,000 for a 160-hour Class A course; the details and a payback calculator are on CDL cost. BLS projects about 214,500 openings a year for heavy truck drivers from 2025 to 2035.[ooh_truck] Drivers who would rather fix trucks than drive them can compare diesel mechanic salary (median $61,770), and other trades on the electrician salary page. Drivers who move up to lifting equipment can compare crane operator salary.
Frequently asked questions
How much do truck drivers make a year?
$58,640 at the national median for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers (BLS, May 2025); $40,140 at the 10th percentile and $79,380 at the 90th.
How much do truck drivers make a week?
About $1,128 a week before tax at the national median, or $948 after federal tax and FICA for a single filer.
What state pays truck drivers the most?
Alaska ($70,100 median), then Washington and District of Columbia.
Do truck drivers get overtime?
Most interstate drivers are exempt from federal overtime pay, so pay plans are usually per mile, per load or a percentage. Local and intrastate drivers may be covered; check the offer and your state’s law.
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (truck driving school 3–6 months)
- Local Wages: 53-3032.00 Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (state and metro percentiles)
- Summary Report for 53-3032.00, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (trucks of at least 26,001 pounds GVW)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- 49 CFR 395.3, Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles (11 hours, 14-hour window, 60/70 hours, 34-hour restart)
- Fact Sheet #19: The Motor Carrier Exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Section 13(b)(1))
- 49 CFR 380.609, Entry-level driver training: training from a provider on the Training Provider Registry
- 49 CFR 391.11, General qualifications of drivers (at least 21 years old)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)