Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Modesto, CA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Modesto, CA: $50,550/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,550 – $71,400 · about 3,600 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$780 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Modesto
With Modesto's cost of living at 105 (US=100), that $50,550 has the buying power of about $48,085 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $74,872 · median home $468,302 · median rent $2,052/mo.
How Modesto ranks for this job
On raw pay, Modesto, CA is 105th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Modesto's cost of living is applied, it ranks 168th.
The headline number flatters Modesto. 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 Modesto
A median home in Modesto, CA costs $468,302 — about 9.3× 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 $2,052/mo works out at 49% 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 Modesto.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Modesto | Rent vs Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +78% | 0.7× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +26% | 1.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +24% | 1.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +24% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Modesto | Rent vs Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +24% | 1.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +24% | 1.8× |
| Stockton, CA | $59,060 | +17% | 1.2× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $58,980 | +17% | 1.3× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Modesto
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Save Mart Supermarkets · Retail
- E. & J. Gallo Winery · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Modesto
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.