Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Salem, OR
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in Salem, OR: $58,810/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $42,510 – $73,970 · about 2,070 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($51,330) by +$7,480 (+15%).
What it's really worth in Salem
With Salem's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $58,810 has the buying power of about $57,399 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $72,154 · median home $454,689 · median rent $1,628/mo.
How Salem ranks for this job
On raw pay, Salem, OR is 21st of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once Salem's cost of living is applied, it ranks 44th.
The headline number flatters Salem. 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 Salem
A median home in Salem, OR costs $454,689 — about 7.7× 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 $1,628/mo works out at 33% 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 Salem.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Salem | Rent vs Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +53% | 0.8× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +8% | 1.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +7% | 2× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +6% | 2.2× |
Same job elsewhere in OR
| Metro | Median pay | vs Salem | Rent vs Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | $61,590 | +5% | 1.1× |
| Eugene, OR | $57,620 | −2% | 1.1× |
Staying in OR keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around Salem
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Sumco Oregon Corp · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Salem
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.