Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
53-3032 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers’ license. Includes tow truck drivers. Excludes “Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors” (53-7081).
National estimates for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Industry profile for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Geographic profile for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
National estimates for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 1,903,420 |
0.5 % |
$ 24.20 |
$ 50,340 |
0.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.77 |
$ 18.54 |
$ 23.23 |
$ 28.82 |
$ 34.97 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 30,710 |
$ 38,570 |
$ 48,310 |
$ 59,950 |
$ 72,730 |
Industry profile for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Truck Transportation |
862,700 |
57.81 |
$ 25.11 |
$ 52,240 |
| Warehousing and Storage |
91,630 |
5.53 |
$ 22.48 |
$ 46,760 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) |
84,040 |
9.06 |
$ 26.03 |
$ 54,150 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing |
69,940 |
17.53 |
$ 22.98 |
$ 47,790 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) |
59,150 |
4.32 |
$ 22.52 |
$ 46,840 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Truck Transportation |
862,700 |
57.81 |
$ 25.11 |
$ 52,240 |
| Support Activities for Road Transportation |
50,230 |
47.42 |
$ 20.80 |
$ 43,260 |
| Waste Collection |
44,270 |
23.05 |
$ 22.96 |
$ 47,770 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing |
69,940 |
17.53 |
$ 22.98 |
$ 47,790 |
| Logging |
8,070 |
17.14 |
$ 22.30 |
$ 46,380 |
Top paying industries for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
280 |
0.86 |
$ 31.97 |
$ 66,490 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation |
3,890 |
4.33 |
$ 31.72 |
$ 65,980 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution |
330 |
0.09 |
$ 30.38 |
$ 63,190 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services |
58,120 |
6.27 |
$ 30.15 |
$ 62,720 |
| Spectator Sports |
260 |
0.22 |
$ 30.01 |
$ 62,420 |
Geographic profile for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Texas |
202,270 |
16.54 |
1.22 |
$ 23.15 |
$ 48,150 |
| California |
179,450 |
10.86 |
0.80 |
$ 25.06 |
$ 52,130 |
| Florida |
88,980 |
10.34 |
0.77 |
$ 21.62 |
$ 44,980 |
| Pennsylvania |
87,390 |
15.65 |
1.16 |
$ 23.69 |
$ 49,270 |
| Ohio |
86,200 |
16.57 |
1.23 |
$ 23.51 |
$ 48,900 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Arkansas |
32,560 |
27.34 |
2.02 |
$ 23.60 |
$ 49,090 |
| Nebraska |
25,740 |
26.86 |
1.99 |
$ 25.59 |
$ 53,230 |
| Iowa |
37,170 |
25.03 |
1.85 |
$ 24.16 |
$ 50,260 |
| North Dakota |
9,730 |
24.62 |
1.82 |
$ 26.41 |
$ 54,920 |
| Wyoming |
5,840 |
22.40 |
1.66 |
$ 25.72 |
$ 53,500 |
Top paying states for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Washington |
34,510 |
10.77 |
0.80 |
$ 27.49 |
$ 57,190 |
| District of Columbia |
620 |
0.93 |
0.07 |
$ 27.18 |
$ 56,530 |
| Alaska |
3,020 |
10.22 |
0.76 |
$ 27.13 |
$ 56,440 |
| New Jersey |
44,800 |
11.64 |
0.86 |
$ 27.09 |
$ 56,340 |
| New York |
62,040 |
7.16 |
0.53 |
$ 26.63 |
$ 55,390 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
63,590 |
7.33 |
0.54 |
$ 28.17 |
$ 58,580 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
60,790 |
16.94 |
1.25 |
$ 24.39 |
$ 50,720 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
54,600 |
12.90 |
0.95 |
$ 27.33 |
$ 56,840 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
49,540 |
8.66 |
0.64 |
$ 24.61 |
$ 51,190 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
45,870 |
15.83 |
1.17 |
$ 23.73 |
$ 49,360 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
38,240 |
24.99 |
1.85 |
$ 24.78 |
$ 51,540 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
35,370 |
13.67 |
1.01 |
$ 25.00 |
$ 51,990 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
29,040 |
10.94 |
0.81 |
$ 25.63 |
$ 53,310 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
28,490 |
13.46 |
1.00 |
$ 24.44 |
$ 50,830 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
25,070 |
13.92 |
1.03 |
$ 24.51 |
$ 50,990 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Laredo, TX |
4,970 |
51.17 |
3.79 |
$ 20.94 |
$ 43,560 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO |
10,770 |
44.06 |
3.26 |
$ 26.59 |
$ 55,300 |
| Joplin, MO |
3,010 |
39.17 |
2.90 |
$ 25.29 |
$ 52,600 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD |
3,220 |
38.45 |
2.85 |
$ 24.89 |
$ 51,770 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA |
9,620 |
37.55 |
2.78 |
$ 25.42 |
$ 52,880 |
| Midland, TX |
3,480 |
36.59 |
2.71 |
$ 24.58 |
$ 51,120 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK |
3,640 |
35.39 |
2.62 |
$ 23.33 |
$ 48,520 |
| Odessa, TX |
2,200 |
32.96 |
2.44 |
$ 25.49 |
$ 53,010 |
| Lincoln, NE |
5,580 |
32.80 |
2.43 |
$ 26.53 |
$ 55,180 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA |
4,370 |
32.07 |
2.37 |
$ 27.67 |
$ 57,550 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL |
770 |
17.81 |
1.32 |
$ 30.10 |
$ 62,600 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
14,470 |
6.45 |
0.48 |
$ 29.95 |
$ 62,290 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
3,850 |
3.60 |
0.27 |
$ 29.59 |
$ 61,540 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
17,600 |
9.18 |
0.68 |
$ 28.86 |
$ 60,020 |
| Danville, IL |
550 |
21.86 |
1.62 |
$ 28.58 |
$ 59,440 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
63,590 |
7.33 |
0.54 |
$ 28.17 |
$ 58,580 |
| Fairbanks, AK |
620 |
17.97 |
1.33 |
$ 28.15 |
$ 58,550 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN |
1,820 |
25.27 |
1.87 |
$ 28.08 |
$ 58,410 |
| Iowa City, IA |
2,060 |
23.53 |
1.74 |
$ 27.89 |
$ 58,000 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA |
4,370 |
32.07 |
2.37 |
$ 27.67 |
$ 57,550 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
7,550 |
20.09 |
1.49 |
$ 22.27 |
$ 46,320 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area |
6,900 |
28.80 |
2.13 |
$ 24.10 |
$ 50,130 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
6,220 |
19.80 |
1.47 |
$ 23.26 |
$ 48,380 |
| Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area |
6,060 |
31.70 |
2.35 |
$ 24.64 |
$ 51,250 |
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
5,880 |
31.93 |
2.36 |
$ 22.22 |
$ 46,210 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area |
5,010 |
38.23 |
2.83 |
$ 22.32 |
$ 46,430 |
| West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area |
3,750 |
35.43 |
2.62 |
$ 27.19 |
$ 56,560 |
| Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area |
4,290 |
32.17 |
2.38 |
$ 23.56 |
$ 49,010 |
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
5,880 |
31.93 |
2.36 |
$ 22.22 |
$ 46,210 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area |
2,550 |
31.87 |
2.36 |
$ 22.98 |
$ 47,800 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
