Light Truck Drivers Salary
Light Truck Drivers in St. Joseph, MO-KS make a median of $46,470 a year, or about $22.34 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.38), which stretches that salary to about $53,797 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,077/month, about 34% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in St. Joseph?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Joseph’s Regional Price Parity (86.38). 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 St. Joseph
Light truck drivers pay in St. Joseph tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,077/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.38 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for light truck drivers in metros near St. Joseph, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $45K | $49K |
| St. Louis | $47K | $50K |
| Springfield | $44K | $49K |
| Columbia | $43K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Joseph, MO-KS
Entry-level light truck drivers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $62K 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 St. Joseph?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 34% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/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 St. Joseph?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new light truck drivers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,808/month. At HUD’s $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 St. Joseph?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does St. Joseph compare to the national average for light truck drivers?
St. Joseph pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.38), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do light truck drivers make in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
The median is $46,470 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,130, and experienced light truck drivers can clear $92,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in St. Joseph?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,163/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 34% 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 St. Joseph?
St. Joseph has a Regional Price Parity of 86.38 (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 $53,797 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.