Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In Illinois, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $60,320 at the median, or about $29 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $64,273 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 35.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $60K get you in Illinois?
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers pay in Illinois 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 $1,407/month, which is 35.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $47K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $62K | +3% | 62,210 |
| Rockford | $60K | -1% | 1,690 |
| Decatur | $59K | -2% | 990 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $56K | -7% | 840 |
| Bloomington | $55K | -9% | 1,070 |
| Springfield | $50K | -17% | 750 |
| Peoria | $50K | -18% | 1,760 |
| Kankakee | $47K | -22% | 760 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 35.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,383/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
Illinois pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in Illinois?
The median is $60,320 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,710, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $86,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,960/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 35.5% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $64,273 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.