Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In North Carolina, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $51,530 at the median, or about $24.77 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.66), which stretches that salary to about $55,612 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,284/month, about 37.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across North Carolina. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $52K get you in North Carolina?
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in North Carolina
Pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in North Carolina runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,284/month, which is 37.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for heavy and tractor-trailer truck driverss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, North Carolina
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in North Carolina
15 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro-High Point | $58K | +13% | 6,480 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $57K | +12% | 3,050 |
| Burlington | $56K | +9% | 1,020 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $56K | +9% | 18,700 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $53K | +3% | 2,130 |
| Raleigh-Cary | $52K | +1% | 7,210 |
| Asheville | $52K | +0% | 2,040 |
| Winston-Salem | $51K | -0% | 3,480 |
| Fayetteville | $50K | -3% | 1,400 |
| Greenville | $49K | -5% | 500 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines | $49K | -5% | 220 |
| Wilmington | $49K | -5% | 1,840 |
| Rocky Mount | $48K | -7% | 840 |
| Goldsboro | $47K | -9% | 400 |
| Jacksonville | $46K | -11% | 360 |
Showing 1–10 of 15 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when North Carolina numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in North Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 37.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,284/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 North Carolina?
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 $2,364/month. At HUD’s $1,284/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 North Carolina?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $52K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does North Carolina compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
North Carolina pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in North Carolina?
The median is $51,530 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,400, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $76,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in North Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,427/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,284/month, which eats 37.5% 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 North Carolina?
North Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 92.66 (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 $55,612 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.