Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In Delaware, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $57,590 at the median, or about $27.69 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $59,061 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,448/month, about 38.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Delaware. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $58K get you in Delaware?
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in Delaware
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers pay in Delaware tracks closely to the national median, $58K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,448/month, which is 38% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Delaware
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in Delaware
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $54K | -6% | 1,440 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Delaware numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Delaware?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 38% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,448/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Delaware?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,811/month. At HUD’s $1,448/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Delaware?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $58K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Delaware compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
Delaware pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in Delaware?
The median is $57,590 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,850, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $69,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Delaware?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,808/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,448/month, which eats 38% 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 Delaware?
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers salary is worth about $59,061 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.