BLS pay for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers by percentile and state, a per-mile pay converter, and take-home after 2026 tax
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earned a median of $58,640 a year in May 2025, or $28.19 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 2,062,040 of them — one of the largest occupations in the country. Unlike most jobs here, mileage pay is included in BLS's figures; owner-operators are not. The middle half of drivers earned between $47,960 and $69,120.
This is the BLS line for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (SOC 53-3032), on an employer's payroll. Owner-operators who run their own business are self-employed and are not in the survey, and light truck and delivery drivers are counted separately. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.30 | $40,140 | $3,345 | $34,432 |
| 25th percentile | $23.06 | $47,960 | $3,997 | $40,716 |
| Median | $28.19 | $58,640 | $4,887 | $49,297 |
| 75th percentile | $33.23 | $69,120 | $5,760 | $57,456 |
| 90th percentile | $38.17 | $79,380 | $6,615 | $64,674 |
Truck driver pay varies less by state than most jobs: Alaska's median is $33.70 an hour and Louisiana's $23.71, a gap of about 40%. Texas (209,680 drivers) and California (205,090) together employ a fifth of all heavy truck drivers, at $56,290 and $60,230.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $33.70 | $70,100 | 3,420 |
| Washington | $31.13 | $64,760 | 40,530 |
| District of Columbia | $30.85 | $64,170 | 830 |
| New Jersey | $30.56 | $63,570 | 47,980 |
| Massachusetts | $30.30 | $63,030 | 30,890 |
| Nevada | $29.95 | $62,290 | 15,010 |
| New York | $29.83 | $62,050 | 63,700 |
| Minnesota | $29.80 | $61,990 | 38,770 |
| Oregon | $29.80 | $61,980 | 23,970 |
| Colorado | $29.57 | $61,500 | 25,350 |
| North Dakota | $29.29 | $60,910 | 11,870 |
| Vermont | $29.25 | $60,830 | 3,560 |
| Utah | $29.15 | $60,620 | 25,060 |
| Connecticut | $29.08 | $60,490 | 15,740 |
| Illinois | $29.00 | $60,320 | 84,200 |
| Indiana | $28.99 | $60,290 | 59,090 |
| Wyoming | $28.99 | $60,310 | 6,050 |
| New Hampshire | $28.98 | $60,280 | 6,960 |
| California | $28.96 | $60,230 | 205,090 |
| Rhode Island | $28.94 | $60,190 | 3,620 |
| Hawaii | $28.76 | $59,820 | 4,070 |
| Ohio | $28.75 | $59,800 | 83,060 |
| Maryland | $28.54 | $59,360 | 29,150 |
| Kansas | $28.33 | $58,920 | 24,220 |
| Montana | $28.30 | $58,870 | 7,830 |
| Idaho | $28.26 | $58,770 | 15,920 |
| South Dakota | $28.21 | $58,690 | 6,470 |
| Tennessee | $28.18 | $58,620 | 64,890 |
| Wisconsin | $28.18 | $58,610 | 53,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $28.16 | $58,580 | 87,550 |
| Nebraska | $28.07 | $58,390 | 23,160 |
| Arizona | $27.92 | $58,080 | 40,150 |
| Iowa | $27.92 | $58,070 | 35,040 |
| Delaware | $27.69 | $57,590 | 9,040 |
| Michigan | $27.49 | $57,180 | 60,800 |
| Georgia | $27.43 | $57,050 | 74,840 |
| Maine | $27.43 | $57,050 | 9,980 |
| Virginia | $27.34 | $56,860 | 48,750 |
| Kentucky | $27.09 | $56,340 | 31,760 |
| Texas | $27.06 | $56,290 | 209,680 |
| Missouri | $26.23 | $54,550 | 47,760 |
| Oklahoma | $26.16 | $54,410 | 27,840 |
| Alabama | $25.06 | $52,120 | 36,650 |
| Mississippi | $24.92 | $51,820 | 24,160 |
| Arkansas | $24.79 | $51,550 | 32,220 |
| North Carolina | $24.77 | $51,530 | 62,400 |
| South Carolina | $24.58 | $51,130 | 34,170 |
| Florida | $24.34 | $50,640 | 112,920 |
| New Mexico | $24.28 | $50,500 | 11,820 |
| West Virginia | $23.79 | $49,480 | 12,190 |
| Louisiana | $23.71 | $49,320 | 28,540 |
Trucking companies themselves pay the most of the big employers, $60,320, while drivers hauling for wholesalers ($58,550), manufacturers and construction firms earn a little less.
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Truck transportation | $60,320 |
| Wholesale trade | $58,550 |
| Manufacturing | $56,570 |
| Construction | $56,080 |
Most heavy truck drivers work full time, and federal hours-of-service rules cap the day: no more than 14 hours on duty in a stretch, of which up to 11 can be driving, then at least 10 hours off; no more than 60 hours driving in 7 days or 70 in 8 days, followed by 34 hours off before a new run. Drivers log their hours (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, citing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). Long-haul drivers are usually paid by the mile plus bonuses, the rate depending on employer, cargo and experience, and some owner-operators take a share of the load's revenue.
Most interstate truck drivers are not owed federal overtime. Section 13(b)(1) of the FLSA exempts drivers, helpers, loaders and mechanics of motor carriers whose work affects the safety of vehicles in interstate commerce, because the Department of Transportation sets their hours instead. The exemption does not apply in weeks a driver works on vehicles of 10,000 pounds or less, with exceptions for large passenger vehicles and placarded hazmat loads (DOL Fact Sheet #19). So the calculator's overtime box is off by default here; switch it on if your employer pays it. Mileage pay counts as wages in BLS's figures; on-call pay and non-production bonuses don't.
Long-haul drivers are usually paid by the mile. To earn the BLS median of $58,640 a year ($1,128 a week over 52 weeks) a driver needs the per-mile rate below for each weekly mileage. These are arithmetic from the median, not market rates — check them against your own offer, and remember that home time, unpaid detention and empty miles all lower what a per-mile rate really pays.
| Paid miles a week | Paid miles a year (52 weeks) | Rate per mile needed |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 | 78,000 | 75.2¢ |
| 2,000 | 104,000 | 56.4¢ |
| 2,500 | 130,000 | 45.1¢ |
| 3,000 | 156,000 | 37.6¢ |
Every heavy truck driver needs a commercial driver's license, which means passing knowledge and driving tests, a physical every two years and random drug and alcohol testing. Endorsements for specialised loads — hazardous materials needs the H endorsement, a further test and a background check — open up work that often pays more (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS does not publish pay by endorsement; the 25th-to-75th percentile gap below shows how much experience, freight type and employer move pay.
More ways to work with your truck driver pay:
$58,640 a year ($28.19 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $47,960 to $69,120.
Alaska ($33.70 an hour, $70,100 a year), then Washington and District of Columbia; Louisiana pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Usually not by federal law: the FLSA's motor carrier exemption covers drivers whose work affects the safety of vehicles in interstate commerce (DOL Fact Sheet #19). Some employers and some state laws pay it anyway, and drivers of vehicles of 10,000 pounds or less generally are owed it.
Multiply your weekly miles by your rate per mile and by the weeks you drive. The calculator's per-mile box does this and divides by your on-duty hours to show what you earn per hour actually worked.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.