Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Phoenix, AZ
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Phoenix, AZ: $50,300/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $38,000 – $69,750 · about 27,720 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$1,030 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Phoenix
With Phoenix's cost of living at 105 (US=100), that $50,300 has the buying power of about $48,053 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $79,935 · median home $448,352 · median rent $1,742/mo.
How Phoenix ranks for this job
On raw pay, Phoenix, AZ is 109th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Phoenix's cost of living is applied, it ranks 169th.
The headline number flatters Phoenix. 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 Phoenix
A median home in Phoenix, AZ costs $448,352 — about 8.9× 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 $1,742/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 Phoenix.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Phoenix | Rent vs Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +78% | 0.8× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +26% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +25% | 1.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +24% | 2.1× |
Same job elsewhere in AZ
| Metro | Median pay | vs Phoenix | Rent vs Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson, AZ | $48,050 | −4% | 0.8× |
Staying in AZ keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Phoenix
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Sprouts Farmers Market · Retail
Other jobs in Phoenix
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.