Careers / Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$58,640
United States, 2025
Employment
2,062,040
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.
- O*NET code
- 53-3032.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
- Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
- Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
- Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
- Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
- Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.
- Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$40,140
25th percentile
$47,960
75th percentile
$69,120
90th percentile
$79,380
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Operation and Control3.8
- Monitoring3.1
- Troubleshooting3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Equipment Maintenance2.9
- Repairing2.9
- Active Listening2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 8 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
8
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.8 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $81,790 | 4,530 | 2025 |
| Fairbanks, AK | $76,560 | 590 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $71,240 | 21,230 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $70,730 | 5,360 | 2025 |
| AK | $70,100 | 3,420 | 2025 |
| Morristown, TN | $67,330 | 1,470 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $66,450 | 16,450 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $66,190 | 1,620 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $65,040 | 65,100 | 2025 |
| WA | $64,760 | 40,530 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $64,200 | 20,430 | 2025 |
| DC | $64,170 | 830 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $64,010 | 20,090 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $63,900 | 14,320 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $63,810 | 650 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $63,800 | 14,370 | 2025 |
| Reno, NV | $63,790 | 4,170 | 2025 |
| NJ | $63,570 | 47,980 | 2025 |
| Cheyenne, WY | $63,540 | 1,060 | 2025 |
| Kahului, HI | $63,420 | 530 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.