Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In Maryland, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $59,360 at the median, or about $28.54 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.76), that's roughly $60,105 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,795/month, about 46.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maryland. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in Maryland?
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in Maryland
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers pay in Maryland tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,795/month, which is 45.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.76) 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, Maryland
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in Maryland
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $59K | +0% | 15,580 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $56K | -5% | 2,360 |
| Lexington Park | $56K | -5% | 310 |
| Salisbury | $54K | -8% | 540 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Maryland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maryland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 45.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,795/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 Maryland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,620/month. At HUD’s $1,795/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Maryland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Maryland compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
Maryland pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.76), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in Maryland?
The median is $59,360 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,670, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $79,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Maryland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,924/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,795/month, which eats 45.7% 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 Maryland?
Maryland has a Regional Price Parity of 98.76 (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 $60,105 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.