Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Portland, OR
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Portland, OR: $61,590/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $45,520 – $79,500 · about 14,080 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($51,330) by +$10,260 (+20%).
What it's really worth in Portland
With Portland's cost of living at 107 (US=100), that $61,590 has the buying power of about $57,715 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $90,451 · median home $552,022 · median rent $1,797/mo.
How Portland ranks for this job
On raw pay, Portland, OR is 7th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Portland's cost of living is applied, it ranks 41st.
The headline number flatters Portland. 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 Portland
A median home in Portland, OR costs $552,022 — about 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 $1,797/mo works out at 35% 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 Portland.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Portland | Rent vs Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +46% | 0.7× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +3% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +2% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +2% | 2× |
Same job elsewhere in OR
| Metro | Median pay | vs Portland | Rent vs Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $58,810 | −5% | 0.9× |
| Eugene, OR | $57,620 | −6% | 1× |
Staying in OR keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Portland
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Fred Meyer · Retail
Other jobs in Portland
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.