Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Charlotte, NC
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Charlotte, NC: $52,090/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $39,260 – $73,890 · about 19,420 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($51,330) by +$760 (+1%).
What it's really worth in Charlotte
With Charlotte's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $52,090 has the buying power of about $53,523 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $76,177 · median home $390,321 · median rent $1,740/mo.
How Charlotte ranks for this job
On raw pay, Charlotte, NC is 88th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Charlotte's cost of living is applied, it ranks 115th.
The headline number flatters Charlotte. 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 Charlotte
A median home in Charlotte, NC costs $390,321 — about 7.5× 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 $1,740/mo works out at 40% 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 Charlotte.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charlotte | Rent vs Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +72% | 0.8× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +22% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +20% | 1.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +20% | 2.1× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charlotte | Rent vs Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | $51,220 | −2% | 1× |
| Hickory, NC | $50,600 | −3% | 0.9× |
| Greensboro, NC | $49,720 | −5% | 0.8× |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $49,610 | −5% | 0.9× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Charlotte
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
Other jobs in Charlotte
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.