Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Philadelphia, PA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Philadelphia, PA: $57,990/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $43,510 – $78,460 · about 30,450 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($51,330) by +$6,660 (+13%).
What it's really worth in Philadelphia
With Philadelphia's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $57,990 has the buying power of about $56,651 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $85,555 · median home $390,463 · median rent $1,914/mo.
How Philadelphia ranks for this job
On raw pay, Philadelphia, PA is 29th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Philadelphia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 56th.
The headline number flatters Philadelphia. 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 Philadelphia
A median home in Philadelphia, PA costs $390,463 — about 6.7× 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 $1,914/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 Philadelphia.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +55% | 0.7× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +9% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +8% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +8% | 1.9× |
Same job elsewhere in PA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg, PA | $59,690 | +3% | 0.8× |
| Allentown, PA | $59,140 | +2% | 1× |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $55,920 | −4% | 0.8× |
| Reading, PA | $55,870 | −4% | 0.8× |
Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Philadelphia
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.