Jetted FoxCareers · Driving & delivery
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Drives large trucks to haul freight between cities, warehouses and stores, often for days at a time. No college degree needed.
Start after 3–8 weeks of a short course
Starting pay ranges from about $20.83/hr in West Virginia to $29.09/hr in Alaska.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $18.39–21.46/hr | $25.06/hr |
| Alaska | $23.12–29.09/hr | $33.70/hr |
| Arizona | $20.47–22.86/hr | $27.92/hr |
| Arkansas | $17.68–21.47/hr | $24.79/hr |
| California | $20.11–23.43/hr | $28.96/hr |
| Colorado | $22.60–25.72/hr | $29.57/hr |
| Connecticut | $22.68–24.80/hr | $29.08/hr |
| Delaware | $22.53–25.76/hr | $27.69/hr |
| Florida | $18.12–21.88/hr | $24.34/hr |
| Georgia | $18.34–21.97/hr | $27.43/hr |
| Hawaii | $22.83–25.25/hr | $28.76/hr |
| Idaho | $20.85–23.15/hr | $28.26/hr |
| Illinois | $19.09–23.34/hr | $29/hr |
| Indiana | $20.22–23.74/hr | $28.99/hr |
| Iowa | $20.38–23.25/hr | $27.92/hr |
| Kansas | $21.04–23.28/hr | $28.33/hr |
| Kentucky | $18.59–22.99/hr | $27.09/hr |
| Louisiana | $17.65–21.31/hr | $23.71/hr |
| Maine | $19.62–23.09/hr | $27.43/hr |
| Maryland | $21–23.86/hr | $28.54/hr |
| Massachusetts | $22.64–27.08/hr | $30.30/hr |
| Michigan | $19.37–22.88/hr | $27.49/hr |
| Minnesota | $22.07–24.39/hr | $29.80/hr |
| Mississippi | $17.17–20.92/hr | $24.92/hr |
| Missouri | $18.20–22.19/hr | $26.23/hr |
| Montana | $22.14–24.34/hr | $28.30/hr |
| Nebraska | $19.30–22.61/hr | $28.07/hr |
| Nevada | $22.05–25.20/hr | $29.95/hr |
| New Hampshire | $22.78–25.18/hr | $28.98/hr |
| New Jersey | $23.05–27.59/hr | $30.56/hr |
| New Mexico | $18.53–22.29/hr | $24.28/hr |
| New York | $23.02–26.71/hr | $29.83/hr |
| North Carolina | $18.94–22.27/hr | $24.77/hr |
| North Dakota | $23.07–25.15/hr | $29.29/hr |
| Ohio | $21–23.68/hr | $28.75/hr |
| Oklahoma | $17.99–21.98/hr | $26.16/hr |
| Oregon | $22.93–26.38/hr | $29.80/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $20.94–23.83/hr | $28.16/hr |
| Rhode Island | $21.92–24.20/hr | $28.94/hr |
| South Carolina | $18.91–22.25/hr | $24.58/hr |
| South Dakota | $19.99–23.26/hr | $28.21/hr |
| Tennessee | $19.21–22.95/hr | $28.18/hr |
| Texas | $18.34–22.44/hr | $27.06/hr |
| Utah | $21.31–24.20/hr | $29.15/hr |
| Vermont | $23.51–25.06/hr | $29.25/hr |
| Virginia | $18.36–22.54/hr | $27.34/hr |
| Washington | $24.05–28.58/hr | $31.13/hr |
| Washington, DC | $24.76–28.29/hr | $30.85/hr |
| West Virginia | $17.47–20.83/hr | $23.79/hr |
| Wisconsin | $21.59–23.75/hr | $28.18/hr |
| Wyoming | $22.05–24.26/hr | $28.99/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Also: 21+ (18 within one state) · DOT medical card · Drug test
Once you're hired
Commercial driver's license (CDL Class A): required in every state. It lets you drive tractor-trailers and combination vehicles over 26,001 lbs. Rules differ by state; check your state's licensing board.
Other way in: Company-sponsored CDL school.
A normal day
You drive a semi-truck for hours, keeping to strict limits on driving time logged by an electronic device. You check the truck before each trip, deal with traffic and weather, and sleep in the truck's cab at truck stops on long-haul runs. New drivers usually start on long-haul routes away from home for weeks.
The good parts
About 214,500 US openings a year, and fast to start. Pay grows quickly once you have 1-2 years of safe driving. Paths to local routes, specialized hauling or owning your own truck.
The hard parts
New drivers often spend 2-3 weeks away from home at a time. Sitting all day, truck-stop food and poor sleep wear on your health. Truck crashes and injuries make this one of the more dangerous jobs.
Where it leads
Transportation inspector (after 2–5 years in the field). after 1-2 years drivers move to local or regional routes, specialized hauling like tankers or flatbed, trainer, dispatcher, or owner-operator running their own truck.
Quick answers
Do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers need a college degree?
No. Start after 3–8 weeks of a short course.
How long is the training for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
3–8 week CDL (truck license) course, then 2–6 weeks driving with a trainer.
How much do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make?
About $19.30–23.06 an hour to start and $28.19 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.