Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Amarillo, TX
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Amarillo, TX: $49,470/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $34,390 – $75,980 · about 2,220 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$1,860 (-4%).
What it's really worth in Amarillo
With Amarillo's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $49,470 has the buying power of about $54,140 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $64,147 · median home $219,904 · median rent $1,293/mo.
How Amarillo ranks for this job
On raw pay, Amarillo, TX is 126th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Amarillo's cost of living is applied, it ranks 102nd.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Amarillo is one of the places where heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Amarillo
A median home in Amarillo, TX costs $219,904 — about 4.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,293/mo works out at 31% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Amarillo.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Amarillo | Rent vs Amarillo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +81% | 1× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +28% | 1.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +27% | 2.5× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +26% | 2.8× |
Same job elsewhere in TX
| Metro | Median pay | vs Amarillo | Rent vs Amarillo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | $56,420 | +14% | 1.3× |
| Austin, TX | $51,660 | +4% | 1.3× |
| Houston, TX | $50,830 | +3% | 1.3× |
| Beaumont, TX | $49,020 | −1% | 1× |
Staying in TX keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Amarillo
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Tyson Foods Inc. · Manufacturing
- Pantex · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Amarillo
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.