Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Memphis, TN
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Memphis, TN: $58,050/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,080 – $84,390 · about 16,890 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($51,330) by +$6,720 (+13%).
What it's really worth in Memphis
With Memphis's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $58,050 has the buying power of about $63,134 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $62,178 · median home $247,229 · median rent $1,441/mo.
How Memphis ranks for this job
On raw pay, Memphis, TN is 28th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Memphis's cost of living is applied, it ranks 7th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Memphis 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 Memphis
A median home in Memphis, TN costs $247,229 — about 4.3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,441/mo works out at 30% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
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 Memphis.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Memphis | Rent vs Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +55% | 0.9× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +9% | 1.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +8% | 2.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +8% | 2.5× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Memphis | Rent vs Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | $54,650 | −6% | 1.2× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $49,900 | −14% | 1.1× |
| Knoxville, TN | $49,900 | −14% | 1.2× |
| Clarksville, TN | $46,990 | −19% | 0.9× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Memphis
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Smith & Nephew · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Memphis
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.