National median: $50K (range: 35K–75K). Salaries adjusted by state cost index. Ranked by cost-adjusted purchasing power. The difference between the best and worst state is $6,781/year in real purchasing power.
Truck drivers face a unique tax situation: you may earn income across multiple states but generally pay taxes only to your state of residency. At $35K–$75K, the per-state tax difference is modest in absolute dollars but meaningful relative to income.
The highest-paying state for truck drivers is Hawaii with an estimated salary of $96K and take-home of $69,447. But the best purchasing power goes to Texas \u2014 where a $47K salary, after taxes and cost adjustment, buys what $42,951 would buy nationally.
Regional averages show where truck drivers earn the most and where their money goes furthest:
| # | State | Est. Salary | Tax Rate | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $47K | 0% | $39,945 | $3,329 | 15.0% | $42,951 |
| 2 | Nevada | $51K | 0% | $43,159 | $3,597 | 15.4% | $42,731 |
| 3 | Tennessee | $45K | 0% | $38,338 | $3,195 | 14.8% | $42,597 |
| 4 | South Dakota | $46K | 0% | $39,141 | $3,262 | 14.9% | $42,545 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $47K | 0% | $39,945 | $3,329 | 15.0% | $42,494 |
| 6 | Florida | $50K | 0% | $42,355 | $3,530 | 15.3% | $42,355 |
| 7 | Alaska | $64K | 0% | $53,604 | $4,467 | 16.2% | $42,208 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $54K | 0% | $45,569 | $3,797 | 15.6% | $42,194 |
| 9 | Washington | $55K | 0% | $46,373 | $3,864 | 15.7% | $42,157 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $46K | 2.5% | $38,394 | $3,199 | 16.5% | $41,732 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $42K | 4.82% | $34,611 | $2,884 | 17.6% | $41,700 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $44K | 4.5% | $36,247 | $3,021 | 17.6% | $41,663 |
| 13 | Arizona | $49K | 2.5% | $40,327 | $3,361 | 17.7% | $41,574 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $46K | 4.55% | $37,781 | $3,148 | 17.9% | $41,517 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $46K | 3% | $37,761 | $3,147 | 17.9% | $41,496 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $43K | 3.9% | $35,640 | $2,970 | 17.1% | $41,442 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $42K | 4% | $34,247 | $2,854 | 18.5% | $41,261 |
| 18 | Ohio | $45K | 2.75% | $37,100 | $3,092 | 17.6% | $41,222 |
| 19 | Iowa | $45K | 3.8% | $36,628 | $3,052 | 18.6% | $41,154 |
| 20 | Indiana | $45K | 2.95% | $37,010 | $3,084 | 17.8% | $41,122 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $46K | 5.9% | $37,377 | $3,115 | 18.7% | $41,074 |
| 22 | Missouri | $45K | 4% | $36,538 | $3,045 | 18.8% | $41,053 |
| 23 | Alabama | $44K | 5% | $36,104 | $3,009 | 17.9% | $41,027 |
| 24 | Montana | $49K | 5.65% | $39,752 | $3,313 | 18.9% | $40,981 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $48K | 3.99% | $38,833 | $3,236 | 19.1% | $40,877 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $49K | 3.07% | $40,047 | $3,337 | 18.3% | $40,864 |
| 27 | Michigan | $46K | 4.25% | $37,186 | $3,099 | 19.2% | $40,864 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $45K | 3.5% | $36,763 | $3,064 | 18.3% | $40,847 |
| 29 | Virginia | $52K | 5.75% | $42,019 | $3,502 | 19.2% | $40,795 |
| 30 | Kansas | $45K | 5.58% | $36,705 | $3,059 | 18.4% | $40,784 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $53K | 5.99% | $42,702 | $3,558 | 19.4% | $40,669 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $46K | 6% | $37,347 | $3,112 | 18.8% | $40,595 |
| 33 | Utah | $50K | 4.45% | $40,130 | $3,344 | 19.7% | $40,535 |
| 34 | Illinois | $47K | 4.95% | $37,618 | $3,135 | 20.0% | $40,449 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $47K | 7.65% | $37,607 | $3,134 | 20.0% | $40,438 |
| 36 | Colorado | $53K | 4.4% | $42,434 | $3,536 | 19.9% | $40,413 |
| 37 | Georgia | $47K | 5.19% | $37,505 | $3,125 | 20.2% | $40,328 |
| 38 | Maryland | $56K | 5.75% | $45,083 | $3,757 | 19.5% | $40,253 |
| 39 | Idaho | $48K | 5.3% | $38,204 | $3,184 | 20.4% | $40,215 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $56K | 6.99% | $44,632 | $3,719 | 20.3% | $40,209 |
| 41 | Delaware | $51K | 6.6% | $40,971 | $3,414 | 19.7% | $40,167 |
| 42 | Maine | $49K | 7.15% | $39,274 | $3,273 | 19.8% | $40,076 |
| 43 | Vermont | $53K | 8.75% | $41,751 | $3,479 | 21.2% | $39,763 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $50K | 9.85% | $39,154 | $3,263 | 21.7% | $39,549 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $59K | 5% | $46,637 | $3,886 | 21.0% | $39,522 |
| 46 | Oregon | $55K | 9.9% | $42,833 | $3,569 | 22.1% | $38,939 |
| 47 | New York | $63K | 10.9% | $48,337 | $4,028 | 23.3% | $38,670 |
| 48 | New Jersey | $57K | 10.75% | $43,997 | $3,666 | 22.8% | $38,258 |
| 49 | California | $71K | 13.3% | $52,586 | $4,382 | 25.9% | $37,032 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $96K | 11% | $69,447 | $5,787 | 27.7% | $36,170 |