Light Truck Drivers Salary
Light Truck Drivers in Auburn-Opelika, AL make a median of $36,960 a year, or about $17.77 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.93), which stretches that salary to about $42,033 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $995/month, about 39.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $37K actually covers in Auburn-Opelika, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Auburn-Opelika’s Regional Price Parity (87.93). 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 light truck drivers
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What this looks like in Auburn-Opelika
Pay for light truck drivers in Auburn-Opelika runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $995/month, which is 39.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.93 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 light truck driverss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for light truck drivers in metros near Auburn-Opelika, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $40K | $44K |
| Mobile | $39K | $45K |
| Huntsville | $43K | $46K |
| Montgomery | $37K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Auburn-Opelika, AL
Entry-level light truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Light Truck Drivers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Light Truck Drivers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $57K | +27% | 1,790 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | +10% | 540 |
| Washington | $49K | +9% | 23,290 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +9% | 17,360 |
| Colorado | $48K | +8% | 15,810 |
| Maryland | $48K | +7% | 18,420 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +7% | 23,350 |
| North Dakota | $48K | +7% | 1,950 |
| Illinois | $47K | +6% | 47,190 |
| Oregon | $47K | +5% | 11,120 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +4% | 33,900 |
| California | $47K | +4% | 111,950 |
| Montana | $46K | +3% | 2,960 |
| New York | $46K | +3% | 56,490 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +3% | 4,670 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +2% | 3,690 |
| Utah | $46K | +2% | 9,930 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +2% | 19,140 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +2% | 3,110 |
| Missouri | $46K | +1% | 16,210 |
| Arizona | $45K | +1% | 18,400 |
| Vermont | $45K | +1% | 2,050 |
| Tennessee | $45K | +0% | 33,710 |
| Indiana | $45K | -1% | 19,880 |
| Maine | $45K | -1% | 3,120 |
| Connecticut | $45K | -1% | 10,720 |
| Idaho | $44K | -1% | 7,120 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -2% | 4,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $44K | -2% | 42,380 |
| Georgia | $44K | -2% | 26,050 |
| Delaware | $44K | -2% | 4,200 |
| Wyoming | $44K | -2% | 1,450 |
| Nevada | $44K | -2% | 9,520 |
| Kansas | $44K | -3% | 9,140 |
| South Dakota | $43K | -4% | 4,820 |
| Kentucky | $43K | -4% | 15,630 |
| Michigan | $43K | -4% | 26,160 |
| Iowa | $43K | -5% | 9,680 |
| Ohio | $43K | -5% | 35,130 |
| Texas | $43K | -5% | 78,540 |
| Virginia | $42K | -5% | 25,170 |
| New Mexico | $42K | -6% | 4,220 |
| Florida | $42K | -7% | 67,390 |
| North Carolina | $40K | -11% | 31,810 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -11% | 10,020 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -12% | 14,300 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -13% | 3,330 |
| Alabama | $38K | -14% | 13,980 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -15% | 7,030 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -16% | 11,950 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -17% | 9,340 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track light truck drivers salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a light truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Auburn-Opelika?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 39.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $995/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for light truck drivers in Auburn-Opelika?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new light truck drivers typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,868/month. At HUD’s $995/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is light truck driver a high-paying job in Auburn-Opelika?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $37K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Auburn-Opelika compare to the national average for light truck drivers?
Auburn-Opelika pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.93), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do light truck drivers make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?
The median is $36,960 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,830, and experienced light truck drivers can clear $91,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Auburn-Opelika?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,504/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $995/month, which eats 39.7% 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 light truck drivers salary go in Auburn-Opelika?
Auburn-Opelika has a Regional Price Parity of 87.93 (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 light truck drivers salary is worth about $42,033 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do light 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.