Light Truck Drivers Salary
Light Truck Drivers in Beckley, WV make a median of $40,010 a year, or about $19.23 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.37), which stretches that salary to about $45,276 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $944/month, about 34.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Beckley?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Beckley’s Regional Price Parity (88.37). 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 Beckley
Pay for light truck drivers in Beckley runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $45K. Rent runs $944/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for light truck drivers in metros near Beckley, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland | $38K | $43K |
| Charleston | $43K | $48K |
| Wheeling | $38K | $43K |
| Parkersburg-Vienna | $39K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Beckley, WV
Entry-level light truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $70K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Beckley numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a light truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Beckley?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 34.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $944/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 Beckley?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new light truck drivers typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,442/month. At HUD’s $944/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Beckley?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $40K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Beckley compare to the national average for light truck drivers?
Beckley pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do light truck drivers make in Beckley, WV?
The median is $40,010 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,040, and experienced light truck drivers can clear $93,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Beckley?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,746/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $944/month, which eats 34.4% 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 Beckley?
Beckley has a Regional Price Parity of 88.37 (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 $45,276 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.
