Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $48,460 at the median, or about $23.3 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $48,460 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,709/month, about 49% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville’s Regional Price Parity (100). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
Pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,709/month, which is 50% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100) 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 driverss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in metros near Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $52K | $45K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $51K | $50K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $50K | $50K |
| Jacksonville | $56K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $70K | +20% | 3,420 |
| Washington | $65K | +10% | 40,530 |
| District of Columbia | $64K | +9% | 830 |
| New Jersey | $64K | +8% | 47,980 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +7% | 30,890 |
| Nevada | $62K | +6% | 15,010 |
| New York | $62K | +6% | 63,700 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +6% | 38,770 |
| Oregon | $62K | +6% | 23,970 |
| Colorado | $62K | +5% | 25,350 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +4% | 11,870 |
| Vermont | $61K | +4% | 3,560 |
| Utah | $61K | +3% | 25,060 |
| Connecticut | $60K | +3% | 15,740 |
| Illinois | $60K | +3% | 84,200 |
| Wyoming | $60K | +3% | 6,050 |
| Indiana | $60K | +3% | 59,090 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | +3% | 6,960 |
| California | $60K | +3% | 205,090 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | +3% | 3,620 |
| Hawaii | $60K | +2% | 4,070 |
| Ohio | $60K | +2% | 83,060 |
| Maryland | $59K | +1% | 29,150 |
| Kansas | $59K | +0% | 24,220 |
| Montana | $59K | +0% | 7,830 |
| Idaho | $59K | +0% | 15,920 |
| South Dakota | $59K | +0% | 6,470 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -0% | 64,890 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -0% | 53,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -0% | 87,550 |
| Nebraska | $58K | -0% | 23,160 |
| Arizona | $58K | -1% | 40,150 |
| Iowa | $58K | -1% | 35,040 |
| Delaware | $58K | -2% | 9,040 |
| Michigan | $57K | -2% | 60,800 |
| Georgia | $57K | -3% | 74,840 |
| Maine | $57K | -3% | 9,980 |
| Virginia | $57K | -3% | 48,750 |
| Kentucky | $56K | -4% | 31,760 |
| Texas | $56K | -4% | 209,680 |
| Missouri | $55K | -7% | 47,760 |
| Oklahoma | $54K | -7% | 27,840 |
| Alabama | $52K | -11% | 36,650 |
| Mississippi | $52K | -12% | 24,160 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -12% | 32,220 |
| North Carolina | $52K | -12% | 62,400 |
| South Carolina | $51K | -13% | 34,170 |
| Florida | $51K | -14% | 112,920 |
| New Mexico | $51K | -14% | 11,820 |
| West Virginia | $49K | -16% | 12,190 |
| Louisiana | $49K | -16% | 28,540 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 50% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,709/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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,680/month. At HUD’s $1,709/month FMR, rent would take 102% 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $48K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?
The median is $48,460 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,000, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $69,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,415/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,709/month, which eats 50% 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville?
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers salary is worth about $48,460 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.