Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Occupation-level safety SOC 53-3032

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates set the reading order for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, then wages beside peers such as Transportation Inspectors, Crane and Tower Operators, Locomotive Engineers, Subway and Streetcar Operators.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: Transportation Inspectors ($92K) , Crane and Tower Operators ($68K) , Locomotive Engineers ($81K) , Subway and Streetcar Operators ($86K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-3032 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers
  2. 2. Follow appropriate safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods
  3. 3. Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy
  4. 4. Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure
  5. 5. Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order
  6. 6. Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles
  7. 7. Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required
  8. 8. Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations
  9. 9. Read bills of lading to determine assignment details
  10. 10. Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles
  11. 11. Perform basic vehicle maintenance tasks, such as adding oil, fuel, or radiator fluid, performing minor repairs, or washing trucks
  12. 12. Couple or uncouple trailers by changing trailer jack positions, connecting or disconnecting air or electrical lines, or manipulating fift…

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 53-3032 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Transportation. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.8
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.8
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.1
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  5. 5. Speaking 3.0
  6. 6. Critical Thinking 3.0
  7. 7. Troubleshooting 3.0
  8. 8. Time Management 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Transportation 4.0
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 3.9
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 3.7
  4. 4. English Language 3.6
  5. 5. Law and Government 3.0
  6. 6. Mechanical 2.8
Occupation safety grade
C
Moderate Risk
Transparent derived index from BLS CFOI/SOII, not an official BLS rating · formula
National median still $58,640/yr
$59K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
237,600
Annual openings
2,062,040
Estimated US jobs
Transportation Inspectors
Highest-pay peer · $92K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

1. Nevada $62,290
2. New York $62,050
3. Washington $64,760
4. Oregon $61,980
5. District of Columbia $64,170
6. New Jersey $63,570
7. Colorado $61,500
8. Minnesota $61,990
9. Massachusetts $63,030
10. Alaska $70,100

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. Locomotive Engineers $81,410
  2. 2. Subway and Streetcar Operators $86,380
  3. 3. Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers $68,840
  4. 4. Transportation Inspectors $92,100
  5. 5. Crane and Tower Operators $68,080
  6. 6. Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators $77,320

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers carries an occupation-specific WageDex safety grade of C from BLS CFOI/SOII rates. The national OEWS median is $58,640 inside Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (SOC 53-3032).

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 237,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Nevada at $62,290. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Transportation Inspectors at $92,100. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers pay-rank #21 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers sits at pay-rank #21 of 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 53-3032 · national median $58,640 · middle third of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (#21/50). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-3032

Nevada · top state for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

$62K published median

New York · #2 state pay

$62K · behind Nevada

Transportation Inspectors

Highest-pay peer vs Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · $92K

Crane and Tower Operators

Lower-pay peer beside Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · $68K

Compare Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers with another occupation →

Safety and risk next reads

Safest Occupations

Roles with the strongest published safety grades

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers full wage map

State and metro pay after the safety lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers mid-table among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #21 of 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders ($59K), Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity ($59K), Traffic Technicians ($59K), Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ($58K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. Leading ones include: Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers; Follow appropriate safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods; Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy; Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers? ▼
For SOC 53-3032, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.8), Operation and Control (3.8), Monitoring (3.1), Reading Comprehension (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $58,640 as the national median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. The published 10th-90th range is $40,140 to $79,380. Beside Transportation Inspectors ($92,100), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 237,600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers? ▼
Nevada ($62,290), New York ($62,050), Washington ($64,760) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-3032. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics