Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $70,730 at the mean, or about $34 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. BLS does not publish the median for this occupation because wages exceed the reportable ceiling. The figure shown is the mean (average). Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $64,055 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 75.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $71K (mean) get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara sits well above the national pay line for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 75.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $60K | $53K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $61K | $57K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $66K | $57K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $61K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $71K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $46K 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $71K, rent takes 75.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,897/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 120% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $71K here vs. $59K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $71K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
BLS reports a mean (average) wage of $70,730 a year for this occupation in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. The median is not published because wages exceed the BLS reportable ceiling. Entry-level workers start around $48,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $71K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,616/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 75.5% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (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 $64,055 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.