Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In New Mexico, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $50,500 at the median, or about $24.28 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.06), which stretches that salary to about $54,266 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,119/month, about 33.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Mexico. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $51K actually covers in New Mexico, month by month
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in New Mexico
Pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in New Mexico runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $59K. Rent runs $1,119/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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, New Mexico
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in New Mexico
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $56K | +11% | 4,210 |
| Santa Fe | $51K | +1% | 200 |
| Farmington | $51K | +1% | 960 |
| Las Cruces | $48K | -4% | 810 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when New Mexico 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 New Mexico?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 32.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,119/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 New Mexico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,676/month. At HUD’s $1,119/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 New Mexico?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $51K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does New Mexico compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
New Mexico pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in New Mexico?
The median is $50,500 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,540, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $65,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in New Mexico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,428/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,119/month, which eats 32.6% 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 New Mexico?
New Mexico has a Regional Price Parity of 93.06 (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 $54,266 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.