Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Roanoke, VA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Roanoke, VA: $49,270/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $35,290 – $77,610 · about 2,700 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$2,060 (-4%).
What it's really worth in Roanoke
With Roanoke's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $49,270 has the buying power of about $54,021 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $65,687 · median home $301,139 · median rent $1,403/mo.
How Roanoke ranks for this job
On raw pay, Roanoke, VA is 129th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Roanoke's cost of living is applied, it ranks 106th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Roanoke 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 Roanoke
A median home in Roanoke, VA costs $301,139 — about 6.1× 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 $1,403/mo works out at 34% 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 Roanoke.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Roanoke | Rent vs Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +82% | 1× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +29% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +27% | 2.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +27% | 2.6× |
Same job elsewhere in VA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Roanoke | Rent vs Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | $50,600 | +3% | 1.3× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $48,150 | −2% | 1.3× |
| Lynchburg, VA | $47,400 | −4% | 0.9× |
Staying in VA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Roanoke
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Kroger · Retail
Other jobs in Roanoke
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.