Light Truck Drivers Salary
Light Truck Drivers in Pennsylvania make a median of $44,120 a year, or about $21.21 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $46,457 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 44.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in Pennsylvania?
About light truck drivers
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Light truck drivers pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 44.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level light truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Light Truck Drivers salary by metro in Pennsylvania
16 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $48K | +9% | 3,470 |
| York-Hanover | $46K | +4% | 1,310 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $46K | +4% | 20,930 |
| Lancaster | $44K | -1% | 2,130 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $43K | -2% | 2,680 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $43K | -2% | 2,200 |
| Pittsburgh | $43K | -3% | 8,180 |
| Reading | $42K | -5% | 1,250 |
| Williamsport | $40K | -9% | 500 |
| Johnstown | $40K | -10% | 450 |
| Gettysburg | $40K | -10% | 160 |
| State College | $39K | -11% | 300 |
| Altoona | $39K | -12% | 530 |
| Erie | $39K | -12% | 860 |
| Chambersburg | $38K | -15% | 350 |
| Lebanon | $37K | -16% | 340 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a light truck driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 44.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new light truck drivers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,654/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for light truck drivers?
Pennsylvania pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do light truck drivers make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $44,120 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,560, and experienced light truck drivers can clear $82,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,011/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 44.9% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $46,457 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.