Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Richmond, VA
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Richmond, VA: $50,600/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,620 – $75,570 · about 10,570 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($51,330) by −$730 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Richmond
With Richmond's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $50,600 has the buying power of about $51,456 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $80,877 · median home $397,705 · median rent $1,763/mo.
How Richmond ranks for this job
On raw pay, Richmond, VA is 103rd of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Richmond's cost of living is applied, it ranks 141st.
The headline number flatters Richmond. 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 Richmond
A median home in Richmond, VA costs $397,705 — about 7.9× 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 $1,763/mo works out at 42% 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 Richmond.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Richmond | Rent vs Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +77% | 0.8× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +25% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +24% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +24% | 2.1× |
Same job elsewhere in VA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Richmond | Rent vs Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke, VA | $49,270 | −3% | 0.8× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $48,150 | −5% | 1.1× |
| Lynchburg, VA | $47,400 | −6% | 0.7× |
Staying in VA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Richmond
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Dominion Energy · Energy
Other jobs in Richmond
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.