Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In California, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $60,230 at the median, or about $28.96 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $56,746 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 62.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $60K get you in California?
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in California
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 61.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $71K | +17% | 5,360 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $66K | +10% | 16,450 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $63K | +4% | 1,860 |
| Vallejo | $62K | +2% | 2,380 |
| Napa | $61K | +1% | 600 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $61K | +1% | 10,960 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $61K | +1% | 40,230 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $60K | +0% | 10,110 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $60K | +0% | 720 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $60K | +0% | 61,270 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $60K | -1% | 10,440 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $60K | -1% | 750 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $59K | -2% | 3,020 |
| Modesto | $58K | -3% | 3,510 |
| Yuba City | $58K | -3% | 1,790 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $58K | -4% | 7,050 |
| Chico | $57K | -5% | 650 |
| Redding | $57K | -5% | 940 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $56K | -7% | 1,550 |
| Fresno | $56K | -7% | 8,170 |
| Merced | $56K | -8% | 1,710 |
| El Centro | $55K | -8% | 1,130 |
| Salinas | $53K | -11% | 2,140 |
| Visalia | $52K | -14% | 3,060 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $48K | -20% | 810 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 61.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,510/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 98% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
California pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in California?
The median is $60,230 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,830, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $81,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,043/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 61.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers salary is worth about $56,746 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.