Salary by profession · US · 2026
Truck driver salary in the US
What is the average truck driver salary in the US?
The median US truck driver earns about $55,000 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics), typically $44,000–$72,000. That's around $3,864 a month take-home in a no-tax state, and places the typical truck driver in roughly the 52nd percentile of US earners — $1,990 above the median.
Verified 12 August 2026
Truck driver pay and take-home
| Salary | Take-home, no-tax state | Take-home, California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry / lower | $44,000 | $37,534 | $36,316 |
| Median | $55,000 | $46,373 | $44,495 |
| Experienced | $72,000 | $59,482 | $56,244 |
How truck drivers compare
The US median individual income is $53,010. At $55,000, the typical truck driver earns $1,990 more — around the 52nd percentile of all earners. Long-haul, hazmat and owner-operator work pays above the median; home-daily routes often less.
Location matters as much as the number. The same salary stretches far further in Texas than California. See what you'd keep in your city →