Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in New Orleans, LA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in New Orleans, LA: $49,110/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $31,440 – $75,310 · about 5,350 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$2,220 (-4%).
What it's really worth in New Orleans
With New Orleans's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $49,110 has the buying power of about $53,852 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $62,748 · median home $261,414 · median rent $1,622/mo.
How New Orleans ranks for this job
On raw pay, New Orleans, LA is 134th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once New Orleans's cost of living is applied, it ranks 110th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — New Orleans 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 New Orleans
A median home in New Orleans, LA costs $261,414 — about 5.3× 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 $1,622/mo works out at 40% 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 New Orleans.
| Metro | Median pay | vs New Orleans | Rent vs New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +83% | 0.8× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +29% | 1.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +28% | 2× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +27% | 2.2× |
Same job elsewhere in LA
| Metro | Median pay | vs New Orleans | Rent vs New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $49,820 | +1% | 0.9× |
| Shreveport, LA | $46,360 | −6% | 0.8× |
| Lafayette, LA | $46,060 | −6% | 0.8× |
Staying in LA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around New Orleans
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Entergy · Energy
Other jobs in New Orleans
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.