Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary
In Texas, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn $56,290 at the median, or about $27.06 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $61,526 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 36.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $56K get you in Texas?
About heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
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What this looks like in Texas
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $56K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 35.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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, Texas
Entry-level heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary by metro in Texas
26 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $60K | +6% | 55,670 |
| Eagle Pass | $59K | +4% | 250 |
| Odessa | $58K | +4% | 3,190 |
| Midland | $58K | +3% | 4,540 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $57K | +1% | 10,760 |
| Killeen-Temple | $57K | +1% | 1,940 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $57K | +1% | 49,750 |
| Sherman-Denison | $55K | -2% | 670 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $55K | -2% | 2,100 |
| Abilene | $55K | -3% | 1,090 |
| Amarillo | $54K | -4% | 2,230 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $54K | -5% | 13,710 |
| Longview | $52K | -8% | 2,290 |
| Tyler | $51K | -9% | 1,490 |
| Victoria | $51K | -9% | 570 |
| Wichita Falls | $51K | -10% | 620 |
| College Station-Bryan | $50K | -12% | 1,230 |
| El Paso | $49K | -12% | 7,850 |
| Lubbock | $49K | -13% | 2,200 |
| Texarkana | $49K | -13% | 1,190 |
| Laredo | $49K | -13% | 5,460 |
| Corpus Christi | $49K | -13% | 2,570 |
| Waco | $49K | -13% | 1,640 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $49K | -14% | 1,660 |
| San Angelo | $48K | -14% | 660 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $47K | -16% | 4,390 |
Showing 1–10 of 26 metros
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 35.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,289/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $56K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
Texas pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make in Texas?
The median is $56,290 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,150, and experienced heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers can clear $79,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,939/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 35.9% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $61,526 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.