Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Knoxville, TN
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Knoxville, TN: $49,900/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,140 – $72,750 · about 7,180 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$1,430 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Knoxville
With Knoxville's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $49,900 has the buying power of about $54,102 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $66,715 · median home $367,158 · median rent $1,762/mo.
How Knoxville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Knoxville, TN is 113th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Knoxville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 103rd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Knoxville sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Knoxville
A median home in Knoxville, TN costs $367,158 — about 7.4× 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 $1,762/mo works out at 42% 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 Knoxville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +80% | 0.8× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +27% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +26% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +25% | 2.1× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | $58,050 | +16% | 0.8× |
| Nashville, TN | $54,650 | +10% | 1× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $49,900 | +0% | 0.9× |
| Clarksville, TN | $46,990 | −6% | 0.8× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Knoxville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) · Energy
- Clayton Homes · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Knoxville
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.