Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $60,580 at the median, or about $29.13 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.44), so that salary is closer to $56,915 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,201/month, about 55.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.44). 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
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What this looks like in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers pay in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,201/month, which is 54.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.44), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in metros near Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $60K | $53K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $66K | $57K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $61K | $57K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $60K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $58K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 54.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
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 $2,359/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $60,580 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,320, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $97,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,064/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 54.2% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers salary is worth about $56,915 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.