Light Truck Drivers Salary
Light Truck Drivers in Louisiana make a median of $39,440 a year, or about $18.96 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $45,188 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 44.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in Louisiana?
About light truck drivers
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for light truck drivers in Louisiana runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 43.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level light truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Light Truck Drivers salary by metro in Louisiana
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $44K | +12% | 850 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $44K | +11% | 3,360 |
| Baton Rouge | $41K | +5% | 2,870 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $39K | -0% | 1,360 |
| Alexandria | $39K | -2% | 490 |
| Lafayette | $38K | -3% | 1,660 |
| Lake Charles | $38K | -3% | 670 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $37K | -5% | 500 |
| Hammond | $37K | -6% | 400 |
| Monroe | $37K | -6% | 650 |
Compare to other states
Track light truck drivers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a light truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 43.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/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 Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new light truck drivers typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,520/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 78% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $39K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for light truck drivers?
Louisiana pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do light truck drivers make in Louisiana?
The median is $39,440 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,330, and experienced light truck drivers can clear $76,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,713/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 43.9% 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 light truck drivers salary go in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $45,188 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.