Light Truck Drivers Salary
Light Truck Drivers in California make a median of $46,790 a year, or about $22.5 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $44,083 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 76.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in California?
About light truck drivers
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What this looks like in California
Light truck drivers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 77% 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 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level light truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $57K spread from bottom to top.
Light Truck Drivers salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $52K | +11% | 4,480 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $51K | +9% | 14,470 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $49K | +6% | 1,070 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $49K | +4% | 590 |
| Napa | $48K | +2% | 560 |
| Visalia | $47K | -0% | 1,080 |
| Vallejo | $47K | -0% | 840 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $47K | -0% | 2,680 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $47K | -1% | 40,900 |
| Yuba City | $46K | -1% | 180 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $46K | -1% | 7,010 |
| Chico | $46K | -2% | 480 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $46K | -2% | 410 |
| Salinas | $46K | -2% | 610 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $46K | -2% | 8,240 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | -3% | 14,380 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $45K | -5% | 2,230 |
| Merced | $44K | -5% | 270 |
| Redding | $44K | -6% | 520 |
| Modesto | $44K | -6% | 1,010 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $44K | -6% | 950 |
| El Centro | $43K | -7% | 240 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $43K | -7% | 1,560 |
| Fresno | $43K | -8% | 3,310 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $40K | -14% | 170 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track light truck drivers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a light truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 77% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new light truck drivers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,205/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 112% 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 California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for light truck drivers?
California pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do light truck drivers make in California?
The median is $46,790 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,750, and experienced light truck drivers can clear $93,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,211/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 77% 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 California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 light truck drivers salary is worth about $44,083 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.