Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In Florida, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $50,640 at the median, or about $24.34 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $51,369 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 47.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $51K actually covers in Florida, month by month
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in Florida
Pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Florida runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 46.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $57K | +13% | 7,820 |
| Jacksonville | $56K | +10% | 13,100 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $52K | +2% | 29,060 |
| Ocala | $51K | +2% | 2,230 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $51K | +0% | 2,930 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $51K | -0% | 15,840 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $50K | -1% | 15,420 |
| Naples-Marco Island | $50K | -2% | 1,340 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $49K | -3% | 3,050 |
| Gainesville | $49K | -3% | 1,370 |
| Port St. Lucie | $49K | -4% | 2,060 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $48K | -4% | 1,690 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $48K | -4% | 350 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $48K | -5% | 1,710 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $48K | -5% | 640 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $48K | -6% | 1,910 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $48K | -6% | 890 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $47K | -7% | 840 |
| Punta Gorda | $47K | -8% | 570 |
| Tallahassee | $46K | -8% | 1,260 |
| Homosassa Springs | $46K | -10% | 240 |
| Sebring | $45K | -11% | 230 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 46.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,694/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Florida?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $51K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Florida compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
Florida pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in Florida?
The median is $50,640 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,700, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $74,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,561/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 46.6% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 $51,369 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.