Light Truck Drivers Salary
Light Truck Drivers in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $38,210 a year, or about $18.37 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $44,508 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 46.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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 Lake Charles
Pay for light truck drivers in Lake Charles runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,217/month, which is 46.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $44K | $47K |
| Baton Rouge | $41K | $46K |
| Lafayette | $38K | $44K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $39K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level light truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $57K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a light truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 46.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/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 Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new light truck drivers typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,529/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 80% 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 Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $38K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for light truck drivers?
Lake Charles pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — below the national median.
How much do light truck drivers make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $38,210 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,490, and experienced light truck drivers can clear $82,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,634/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 46.2% 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 Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (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 $44,508 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.