Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Waco, TX
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Waco, TX: $47,190/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $35,560 – $70,000 · about 1,620 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$4,140 (-8%).
What it's really worth in Waco
With Waco's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $47,190 has the buying power of about $51,780 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $59,193 · median home $256,772 · median rent $1,404/mo.
How Waco ranks for this job
On raw pay, Waco, TX is 161st of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Waco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 139th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Waco 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 Waco
A median home in Waco, TX costs $256,772 — about 5.4× 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 $1,404/mo works out at 36% 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 Waco.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Waco | Rent vs Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +90% | 1× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +34% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +33% | 2.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +33% | 2.6× |
Same job elsewhere in TX
| Metro | Median pay | vs Waco | Rent vs Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | $56,420 | +20% | 1.2× |
| Austin, TX | $51,660 | +9% | 1.2× |
| Houston, TX | $50,830 | +8% | 1.2× |
| Amarillo, TX | $49,470 | +5% | 0.9× |
Staying in TX keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Waco
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- H-E-B Stores · Retail
- Cargill Meat Solutions · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Waco
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.