Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Salary in California
The median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in California is $60,230 a year, somewhat above the national $58,640 (+3%); the state ranks 19th of 51 states by median. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn 3% more than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). Among neighbouring states, Nevada and Oregon pay more (up to $62,290 in Nevada) and Arizona pays less (down to $58,080 in Arizona). California employs 205,090 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 11.3 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.85 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $20.11 | $23.43 | $28.96 | $34.77 | $39.41 | $29.82 | 205,090 | 11.26 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $41,830 | $48,740 | $60,230 | $72,330 | $81,960 | $62,020 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.30 | $23.06 | $28.19 | $33.23 | $38.17 | $28.71 | 2,062,040 | – | – |
| Annual | $40,140 | $47,960 | $58,640 | $69,120 | $79,380 | $59,710 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 19th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.85
- Jobs per 1,000
- 11.26
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $34.00 | $70,730 | $48,280 | $94,620 | 5,360 | 4.72 | 0.36 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $31.95 | $66,450 | $48,300 | $94,280 | 16,450 | 6.93 | 0.52 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $30.11 | $62,620 | $46,380 | $80,190 | 1,860 | 9.08 | 0.69 |
| Vallejo, CA | $29.59 | $61,540 | $43,530 | $80,370 | 2,380 | 16.49 | 1.24 |
| Napa, CA | $29.26 | $60,860 | $46,190 | $79,860 | 600 | 7.70 | 0.58 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $29.24 | $60,810 | $44,000 | $81,030 | 10,960 | 10.14 | 0.76 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $29.13 | $60,580 | $39,320 | $97,320 | 40,230 | 23.43 | 1.77 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $29.07 | $60,470 | $40,500 | $80,070 | 10,110 | 34.89 | 2.63 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $29.03 | $60,380 | $40,690 | $76,250 | 720 | 5.90 | 0.45 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $29.01 | $60,340 | $42,910 | $80,120 | 61,270 | 9.77 | 0.74 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $28.74 | $59,780 | $40,880 | $78,250 | 10,440 | 6.79 | 0.51 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $28.60 | $59,500 | $39,120 | $81,470 | 750 | 7.60 | 0.57 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $28.42 | $59,120 | $39,590 | $76,910 | 3,020 | 9.32 | 0.70 |
| Modesto, CA | $28.05 | $58,330 | $38,530 | $78,030 | 3,510 | 18.00 | 1.36 |
| Yuba City, CA | $27.99 | $58,230 | $43,660 | $73,670 | 1,790 | 35.01 | 2.64 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $27.73 | $57,690 | $38,490 | $74,870 | 7,050 | 20.85 | 1.57 |
| Chico, CA | $27.63 | $57,480 | $39,930 | $73,220 | 650 | 8.37 | 0.63 |
| Redding, CA | $27.57 | $57,350 | $39,490 | $74,400 | 940 | 13.20 | 1.00 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $26.88 | $55,910 | $37,770 | $77,270 | 1,550 | 7.74 | 0.58 |
| Fresno, CA | $26.80 | $55,740 | $36,620 | $76,580 | 8,170 | 17.14 | 1.29 |
| Merced, CA | $26.75 | $55,630 | $36,470 | $83,810 | 1,710 | 21.50 | 1.62 |
| El Centro, CA | $26.51 | $55,140 | $37,870 | $75,380 | 1,130 | 17.25 | 1.30 |
| Salinas, CA | $25.67 | $53,390 | $38,480 | $76,970 | 2,140 | 11.49 | 0.87 |
| Visalia, CA | $24.77 | $51,530 | $36,010 | $89,030 | 3,060 | 17.87 | 1.35 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $23.13 | $48,110 | $36,730 | $78,890 | 810 | 16.58 | 1.25 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $29.70 | $61,770 | $39,200 | $82,010 | 1,240 | 11.35 | 0.86 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $28.86 | $60,040 | $44,460 | $78,900 | 380 | 6.00 | 0.45 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $28.40 | $59,080 | $43,230 | $76,840 | 1,670 | 16.00 | 1.21 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.