Real Salary Index

Best states for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

The best states for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers start with the national median wage of $64,170. Once federal tax, state income tax and local housing costs are applied, that salary is worth $98,175 in Puerto Rico and only $37,720 in California.

WeakestStrongest
100.0
Excellent
Puerto Rico — top ranked

After-tax income $45,722 · cost index 0.47

National median wage

$64,170

Best state

Puerto Rico

Weakest state

California

Real pay spread

$60,455

Federal effective rate

7.6%

States compared

52

Ranked

Real purchasing power for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, by state

Median wage after federal and state income tax, divided by a local cost-of-living index built from rent and home values.

  1. 1
    Puerto Rico0.0% state tax$98,175
  2. 2
    South Dakota0.0% state tax$51,614
  3. 3
    Arkansas3.9% state tax$50,373
  4. 4
    North Dakota1.9% state tax$50,313
  5. 5
    Louisiana3.0% state tax$50,152
  6. 6
    Iowa3.8% state tax$49,956
  7. 7
    Mississippi4.7% state tax$49,908
  8. 8
    Tennessee0.0% state tax$49,769
  9. 9
    Oklahoma4.8% state tax$49,375
  10. 10
    Wyoming0.0% state tax$49,328
  11. 11
    Alabama4.7% state tax$48,858
  12. 12
    Kentucky4.0% state tax$48,518
  13. 13
    West Virginia4.8% state tax$48,423
  14. 14
    Nebraska5.2% state tax$47,889
  15. 15
    Missouri4.8% state tax$47,730
  16. 16
    Kansas5.6% state tax$47,699
  17. 17
    Ohio3.5% state tax$47,417
  18. 18
    Indiana3.0% state tax$47,374
  19. 19
    Texas0.0% state tax$47,109
  20. 20
    New Mexico4.9% state tax$46,955
  21. 21
    North Carolina4.5% state tax$46,112
  22. 22
    Wisconsin5.3% state tax$45,805
  23. 23
    Nevada0.0% state tax$45,732
  24. 24
    South Carolina6.4% state tax$45,393
  25. 25
    Michigan4.3% state tax$45,335
  26. 26
    Pennsylvania3.1% state tax$45,303
  27. 27
    Montana5.9% state tax$45,225
  28. 28
    Idaho5.8% state tax$44,875
  29. 29
    Georgia5.4% state tax$44,713
  30. 30
    Alaska0.0% state tax$44,669
  31. 31
    Florida0.0% state tax$44,213
  32. 32
    Arizona2.5% state tax$44,186
  33. 33
    Utah4.5% state tax$43,971
  34. 34
    New Hampshire0.0% state tax$43,894
  35. 35
    Maine7.2% state tax$43,467
  36. 36
    Vermont6.6% state tax$43,342
  37. 37
    Illinois5.0% state tax$43,291
  38. 38
    Delaware5.5% state tax$43,059
  39. 39
    Minnesota7.0% state tax$42,825
  40. 40
    Virginia5.0% state tax$42,776
  41. 41
    Washington0.0% state tax$42,726
  42. 42
    Rhode Island4.8% state tax$42,405
  43. 43
    Colorado4.4% state tax$42,256
  44. 44
    Connecticut5.5% state tax$41,503
  45. 45
    Maryland5.3% state tax$41,087
  46. 46
    Massachusetts5.0% state tax$40,894
  47. 47
    Oregon8.8% state tax$40,047
  48. 48
    New York6.0% state tax$39,616
  49. 49
    New Jersey5.5% state tax$39,508
  50. 50
    District of Columbia7.0% state tax$38,452
  51. 51
    Hawaii7.9% state tax$38,029
  52. 52
    California8.0% state tax$37,720

Wages are national medians: this shows where the same salary goes furthest, not where employers pay more.

How the Real Salary Index works

We start from the BLS national median wage, subtract an effective federal income tax estimate and the state's income tax rate, then divide the result by a cost-of-living index built from state median gross rent and median home value against the national average.

The output is the salary's real purchasing power, and the 0–100 RSI score simply ranks every state between the weakest and strongest result for that occupation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (national median annual wages, May 2024); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (state cost-of-living proxy); State income tax parameters, 2026 tax year.

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