Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Fresno, CA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Fresno, CA: $48,920/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $35,440 – $63,960 · about 6,980 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$2,410 (-5%).
What it's really worth in Fresno
With Fresno's cost of living at 104 (US=100), that $48,920 has the buying power of about $47,037 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $67,756 · median home $409,749 · median rent $2,020/mo.
How Fresno ranks for this job
On raw pay, Fresno, CA is 139th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Fresno's cost of living is applied, it ranks 175th.
The headline number flatters Fresno. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Fresno
A median home in Fresno, CA costs $409,749 — about 8.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,020/mo works out at 50% 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 Fresno.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fresno | Rent vs Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +83% | 0.7× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +30% | 1.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +28% | 1.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +28% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fresno | Rent vs Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +28% | 1.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +28% | 1.8× |
| Stockton, CA | $59,060 | +21% | 1.2× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $58,980 | +21% | 1.3× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Fresno
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Pelco · Manufacturing
- Foster Farms · Manufacturing
- Cargill · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Fresno
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.