Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Baton Rouge, LA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Baton Rouge, LA: $49,820/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $34,960 – $73,960 · about 4,560 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$1,510 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Baton Rouge
With Baton Rouge's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $49,820 has the buying power of about $54,607 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $67,979 · median home $248,176 · median rent $1,393/mo.
How Baton Rouge ranks for this job
On raw pay, Baton Rouge, LA is 117th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Baton Rouge's cost of living is applied, it ranks 93rd.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge
A median home in Baton Rouge, LA costs $248,176 — about 5× 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 $1,393/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 Baton Rouge.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Baton Rouge | Rent vs Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +80% | 1× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +27% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +26% | 2.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +26% | 2.6× |
Same job elsewhere in LA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Baton Rouge | Rent vs Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | $49,110 | −1% | 1.2× |
| Shreveport, LA | $46,360 | −7% | 1× |
| Lafayette, LA | $46,060 | −8% | 1× |
Staying in LA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Baton Rouge
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- ExxonMobil Baton Rouge · Energy
- BASF Corporation · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Baton Rouge
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.