Pay by state · 54 areas
Truck Driver Salary by State (2026)
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn the most in Alaska at $70,100 a year and the least in Louisiana at $49,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $58,640. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $70,100Alaska
- National median
- $58,640BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $49,320Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Alaska$70,100
- 2Washington$64,760
- 3District of Columbia$64,170
- 4New Jersey$63,570
- 5Massachusetts$63,030
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$49,320
- 2West Virginia$49,480
- 3New Mexico$50,500
- 4Florida$50,640
- 5South Carolina$51,130
All states
Truck Driver salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AKAlaska | $70,100 | $60,500 | $78,060 | 3,420 | $68,484 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $64,760 | $59,450 | $75,530 | 40,530 | $60,516 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $64,170 | $58,850 | $74,440 | 830 | $58,389 |
| 4 | NJNew Jersey | $63,570 | $57,400 | $76,450 | 47,980 | $58,426 |
| 5 | MAMassachusetts | $63,030 | $56,320 | $72,150 | 30,890 | $59,599 |
| 6 | NVNevada | $62,290 | $52,420 | $75,890 | 15,010 | $62,303 |
| 7 | NYNew York | $62,050 | $55,550 | $74,040 | 63,700 | $57,496 |
| 8 | MNMinnesota | $61,990 | $50,730 | $73,700 | 38,770 | $62,857 |
| 9 | OROregon | $61,980 | $54,870 | $72,870 | 23,970 | $59,965 |
| 10 | COColorado | $61,500 | $53,490 | $70,220 | 25,350 | $59,679 |
| 11 | NDNorth Dakota | $60,910 | $52,310 | $67,110 | 11,870 | $68,470 |
| 12 | VTVermont | $60,830 | $52,120 | $64,900 | 3,560 | $62,098 |
| 13 | UTUtah | $60,620 | $50,340 | $68,460 | 25,060 | $61,317 |
| 14 | CTConnecticut | $60,490 | $51,590 | $69,970 | 15,740 | $58,382 |
| 15 | ILIllinois | $60,320 | $48,550 | $75,600 | 84,200 | $60,345 |
| 16 | WYWyoming | $60,310 | $50,450 | $73,000 | 6,050 | $65,066 |
| 17 | INIndiana | $60,290 | $49,390 | $72,260 | 59,090 | $64,599 |
| 18 | NHNew Hampshire | $60,280 | $52,380 | $65,140 | 6,960 | $57,870 |
| 19 | CACalifornia | $60,230 | $48,740 | $72,330 | 205,090 | $54,398 |
| 20 | RIRhode Island | $60,190 | $50,330 | $64,250 | 3,620 | $58,848 |
| 21 | HIHawaii | $59,820 | $52,520 | $64,910 | 4,070 | $54,406 |
| 22 | OHOhio | $59,800 | $49,260 | $71,260 | 83,060 | $64,458 |
| 23 | MDMaryland | $59,360 | $49,640 | $69,270 | 29,150 | $56,555 |
| 24 | KSKansas | $58,920 | $48,430 | $71,080 | 24,220 | $65,417 |
| 25 | MTMontana | $58,870 | $50,620 | $63,660 | 7,830 | $62,201 |
| 26 | IDIdaho | $58,770 | $48,150 | $64,260 | 15,920 | $61,543 |
| 27 | SDSouth Dakota | $58,690 | $48,370 | $64,480 | 6,470 | $66,252 |
| 28 | TNTennessee | $58,620 | $47,740 | $73,420 | 64,890 | $63,808 |
| 29 | WIWisconsin | $58,610 | $49,400 | $63,870 | 53,330 | $62,288 |
| 30 | PAPennsylvania | $58,580 | $49,570 | $65,830 | 87,550 | $60,038 |
| 31 | NENebraska | $58,390 | $47,020 | $75,830 | 23,160 | $64,804 |
| 32 | AZArizona | $58,080 | $47,550 | $65,580 | 40,150 | $57,689 |
| 33 | IAIowa | $58,070 | $48,350 | $64,190 | 35,040 | $66,168 |
| 34 | DEDelaware | $57,590 | $53,570 | $58,900 | 9,040 | $57,701 |
| 35 | MIMichigan | $57,180 | $47,600 | $62,060 | 60,800 | $59,428 |
| 36 | GAGeorgia | $57,050 | $45,700 | $68,780 | 74,840 | $59,246 |
| 37 | MEMaine | $57,050 | $48,020 | $62,210 | 9,980 | $58,784 |
| 38 | VAVirginia | $56,860 | $46,880 | $63,200 | 48,750 | $56,239 |
| 39 | KYKentucky | $56,340 | $47,810 | $70,020 | 31,760 | $62,490 |
| 40 | TXTexas | $56,290 | $46,680 | $64,820 | 209,680 | $57,997 |
| 41 | MOMissouri | $54,550 | $46,140 | $63,400 | 47,760 | $60,066 |
| 42 | OKOklahoma | $54,410 | $45,710 | $70,950 | 27,840 | $61,940 |
| 43 | ALAlabama | $52,120 | $44,640 | $64,870 | 36,650 | $58,678 |
| 44 | MSMississippi | $51,820 | $43,520 | $63,630 | 24,160 | $59,595 |
| 45 | ARArkansas | $51,550 | $44,650 | $69,700 | 32,220 | $59,296 |
| 46 | NCNorth Carolina | $51,530 | $46,320 | $62,640 | 62,400 | $54,630 |
| 47 | SCSouth Carolina | $51,130 | $46,290 | $62,660 | 34,170 | $54,539 |
| 48 | FLFlorida | $50,640 | $45,500 | $62,380 | 112,920 | $48,968 |
| 49 | NMNew Mexico | $50,500 | $46,370 | $60,320 | 11,820 | $54,765 |
| 50 | WVWest Virginia | $49,480 | $43,330 | $58,720 | 12,190 | $55,287 |
| 51 | LALouisiana | $49,320 | $44,330 | $58,780 | 28,540 | $55,914 |
| 52 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $43,270 | $37,970 | $48,790 | 240 | N/A |
| 53 | GUGuam | $38,760 | $35,680 | $46,230 | 480 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $25,510 | $23,120 | $28,260 | 10,480 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, the adjustment does not change the leader: Alaska is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $68,484.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Truck Driver pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers the most?
Alaska reports the highest median wage for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $70,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($64,760) and District of Columbia ($64,170).
Which state pays heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $49,320 a year, $20,780 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $43,270, Guam reports $38,760 and Puerto Rico reports $25,510.
Is the highest-paying state the best for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers after cost of living?
Yes. Alaska stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $68,484 in national-average dollars from a raw $70,100. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.