Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in South Bend, IN
Median pay for heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers in South Bend, IN: $57,720/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $42,850 – $75,090 · about 1,600 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($51,330) by +$6,390 (+12%).
What it's really worth in South Bend
With South Bend's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $57,720 has the buying power of about $63,166 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $62,448 · median home $238,866 · median rent $1,340/mo.
How South Bend ranks for this job
On raw pay, South Bend, IN is 34th of the 187 metros we hold heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers wages for. Once South Bend's cost of living is applied, it ranks 6th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — South Bend 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 South Bend
A median home in South Bend, IN costs $238,866 — about 4.1× 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 $1,340/mo works out at 28% 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 South Bend.
| Metro | Median pay | vs South Bend | Rent vs South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $89,760 | +56% | 1× |
| Seattle, WA | $63,460 | +10% | 1.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $62,750 | +9% | 2.4× |
| San Jose, CA | $62,560 | +8% | 2.7× |
Same job elsewhere in IN
| Metro | Median pay | vs South Bend | Rent vs South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | $58,480 | +1% | 1.2× |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $56,160 | −3% | 0.9× |
| Evansville, IN | $49,850 | −14% | 0.8× |
Staying in IN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires heavy & tractor-trailer truck drivers around South Bend
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- AM General LLC · Manufacturing
- Tire Rack · Retail
Other jobs in South Bend
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.