Highest-Paying U.S. Metro Areas for Heavy Truck Drivers: Top 100 (2026 Snapshot)
Where Heavy Truck Drivers Earn the Most Across U.S. Metro Areas
Lincoln, Nebraska has the highest published median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in this ranking at $81,790. Fairbanks-College, Alaska follows at $76,560, and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington ranks third at $71,240. The ranking uses official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025.
The metric is the annual median wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, SOC 53-3032. This 2026 snapshot ranks 100 confirmed U.S. metropolitan areas in descending order by nominal annual wage. All 100 rows are official_value; there are 0 calculated_value, 0 official_forecast, and 0 modeled_projection rows.
Numeric ranking data come from a single official source: the BLS May 2025 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area OEWS dataset. BLS methodology and occupation documentation are used only for definitions and interpretation.
Lincoln, Nebraska ranks #1.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California is #100.
National May 2025 median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.
Exactly 100 confirmed metropolitan-area rows are included.
BLS OEWS estimates released in 2026; 100 official_value rows.
What the Ranking Measures
The ranking compares BLS annual median wages for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers across metropolitan areas. The median is the wage at which half of workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less.
Metropolitan estimates cover the full statistical area rather than only the named central city. Some metros include multiple counties or cross state borders.
The figures are nominal wages and are not adjusted for local living costs. They also do not represent owner-operator revenue, total compensation, job openings, route quality, miles driven, or individual employment offers.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Metro Areas
Four metros have published medians above $70,000. Lincoln leads by $5,230 over Fairbanks-College, while Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara complete the group above that threshold.
Top 10 by BLS OEWS May 2025 annual median wage
| Rank | Metro area | Median annual wage | Region / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln, NE | $81,790 | Midwest · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 2 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $76,560 | West · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $71,240 | West · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $70,730 | West · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 5 | Morristown, TN | $67,330 | South · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,450 | West · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 7 | Anchorage, AK | $66,190 | West · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $65,040 | Northeast · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 9 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $64,200 | Midwest · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $64,010 | Northeast · BLS OEWS · May 2025 · official_value. |
Top 20 Metro-Area Median Wages
The chart uses the same raw values as the ranking table, with Lincoln scaled to 100%.
Methodology
Metric
Annual median wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, SOC 53-3032. The median is the 50th percentile of the local occupational wage distribution.
Unit and Rank Direction
Nominal U.S. dollars per year. Metro areas are sorted by the raw BLS annual median from highest to lowest.
Reference Period
May 2025 OEWS. The page is a 2026 snapshot because May 2025 is the latest BLS OEWS release available for this ranking in 2026.
Source
All ranking values come from the official BLS May 2025 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area OEWS dataset. No secondary source supplies ranking values.
Inclusion and Missing Values
The 100 highest confirmed metropolitan-area median values are included. Unpublished or suppressed wage estimates are not imputed.
Ties
Higher raw wage always ranks higher. Where published medians are equal, metro name is used only as a stable display tie-breaker.
OEWS is an employer survey of wage-and-salary workers in covered establishments. Most agricultural employment and private households are excluded, while self-employed workers, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, and unpaid family workers are not included.
OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay. Overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer benefit costs, and tuition reimbursement are excluded. The May 2025 estimates use the BLS model-based estimation method and six semiannual survey panels covering a three-year period.
This ranking does not adjust for local living costs and does not measure owner-operator revenue, total compensation, employment growth, job openings, hours worked, miles driven, or the quality of available trucking jobs.
Main Ranking: Top 100 Metro Areas by Median Annual Wage
Search by metro area, filter the display region or status, sort the existing rows, or show only the original Top 10 or Top 20.
BLS OEWS May 2025 annual median wage for SOC 53-3032
| Rank | Metro area | Median annual wage | Region / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln, NE | $81,790 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 2 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $76,560 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $71,240 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $70,730 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 5 | Morristown, TN | $67,330 | South · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,450 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 7 | Anchorage, AK | $66,190 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $65,040 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 9 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $64,200 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $64,010 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 11 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $63,900 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $63,810 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $63,800 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 14 | Reno, NV | $63,790 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 15 | Cheyenne, WY | $63,540 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 16 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $63,420 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 17 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $63,070 | South · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 18 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $63,040 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 19 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $62,980 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 20 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $62,930 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 21 | Bozeman, MT | $62,780 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 22 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $62,760 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 23 | Barnstable Town, MA | $62,740 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 24 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $62,710 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 25 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $62,620 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 26 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $62,520 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 27 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $62,460 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 28 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $62,310 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 29 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $62,300 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 30 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $62,240 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 31 | Rochester, MN | $62,180 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 32 | Bismarck, ND | $62,000 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 33 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $61,980 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 34 | Iowa City, IA | $61,960 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 35 | St. Cloud, MN | $61,960 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 36 | Dothan, AL | $61,900 | South · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 37 | Bellingham, WA | $61,890 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 38 | Columbus, OH | $61,720 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 39 | Kenosha, WI | $61,610 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 40 | Worcester, MA | $61,610 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 41 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $61,580 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 42 | Vallejo, CA | $61,540 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 43 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $61,520 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 44 | Springfield, MA | $61,420 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 45 | Syracuse, NY | $61,330 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 46 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $61,260 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 47 | Bend, OR | $61,220 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 48 | New Haven, CT | $61,040 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 49 | Minot, ND | $61,030 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 50 | Duluth, MN-WI | $60,970 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 51 | Napa, CA | $60,860 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 52 | Billings, MT | $60,850 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 53 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $60,820 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 54 | Grand Island, NE | $60,810 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 55 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $60,810 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 56 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $60,720 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 57 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $60,720 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 58 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $60,650 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 59 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $60,630 | South · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 60 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $60,610 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 61 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $60,590 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 62 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $60,580 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 63 | Salem, OR | $60,580 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 64 | Carson City, NV | $60,480 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 65 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $60,480 | South · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 66 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $60,470 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 67 | Toledo, OH | $60,410 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 68 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $60,380 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 69 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $60,380 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 70 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $60,370 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 71 | Vineland, NJ | $60,360 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 72 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $60,340 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 73 | Boise City, ID | $60,330 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 74 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $60,320 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 75 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $60,300 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 76 | Walla Walla, WA | $60,300 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 77 | Akron, OH | $60,210 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 78 | Albany, OR | $60,180 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 79 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $60,170 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 80 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $60,090 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 81 | Mankato, MN | $60,070 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 82 | Ogden, UT | $59,940 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 83 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $59,900 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 84 | Rockford, IL | $59,900 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 85 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $59,890 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 86 | Kingston, NY | $59,830 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 87 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $59,820 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 88 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $59,820 | South · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 89 | Green Bay, WI | $59,810 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 90 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $59,800 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 91 | Colorado Springs, CO | $59,790 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 92 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $59,790 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 93 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $59,780 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 94 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $59,770 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 95 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $59,750 | Northeast · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 96 | Madison, WI | $59,700 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 97 | Corvallis, OR | $59,610 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 98 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $59,580 | Midwest · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 99 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $59,530 | South · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
| 100 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $59,500 | West · May 2025 · BLS OEWS · official_value. |
All ranking values are official BLS OEWS May 2025 annual median wage estimates. No ranking value is forecast, modeled by StatRanker, interpolated, or calculated from an hourly wage.
What Stands Out in the Top 100
Key Insight
Lincoln's $81,790 median is $5,230 above Fairbanks-College and more than $10,000 above third-place Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue.
Notable Pattern
The middle of the upper ranking is compressed: only $1,080 separates #10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton from #20 Longview-Kelso.
Regional Concentration
Under the page's four-region display grouping, 10 of the Top 15 metros are in the West, including metros in Alaska, Washington, California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, and Wyoming.
Outlier
Morristown, Tennessee ranks #5 at $67,330, making it the highest-ranked South metro in this Top 100.
How to Read the Ranking
A higher rank means a higher published BLS median wage for wage-and-salary Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in that metropolitan area. It does not mean every driver in the area earns that amount.
Local living costs can change the practical value of the same salary, so this table should not be treated as a purchasing-power ranking. Small differences between nearby ranks should also be interpreted cautiously because OEWS figures are statistical estimates.
Related U.S. Wage Rankings
FAQ
Which metro area pays heavy truck drivers the highest median wage?
Lincoln, Nebraska ranks first at $81,790 per year in the BLS May 2025 OEWS data used for this ranking.
Are these 2026 truck-driver wages?
No. This is a 2026 snapshot using May 2025 OEWS estimates, the latest dataset used for this ranking. The page does not model wages forward to 2026.
What does median annual wage mean?
It is the wage at which half of workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less.
Are these official published values?
Yes. Each ranking value is an annual median wage published by BLS OEWS. StatRanker does not calculate these metro wages from hourly values.
Are owner-operators included?
Self-employed workers are outside OEWS survey employment, so this is not an owner-operator income or revenue ranking.
Are the wages adjusted for cost of living?
No. The ranking compares nominal annual wages and does not adjust for housing, taxes, transportation costs, or other local prices.
Does a metro estimate refer only to the central city?
No. BLS metropolitan estimates cover the full statistical area, which can include multiple counties and can cross state borders.
How are equal wages handled?
Rows with the same published median are ordered alphabetically by metro name only to provide a stable display order.
Sources
BLS May 2025 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan OEWS Dataset
Primary and sole numeric source for the metro wage values used in the Top 100 ranking.
BLS May 2025 Metropolitan Area Estimates
Official BLS index of May 2025 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan occupational wage estimate pages.
BLS May 2025 OEWS Technical Notes
Survey scope, wage definition, exclusions, area definitions, and model-based estimation methodology.
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Occupation definition and the May 2025 national median annual wage of $58,640.
