National Salary Info » Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Highest Paying Industries for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

The top 100 highest paying industries for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $79,460, other electrical equipment and component manufacturing is the highest paying industry for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. It is followed by wired telecommunications carriers industry (average annual salary $68,100). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$79,460	$32,150	240
2	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$68,100	$40,470	50
3	Couriers and Express Delivery Services	$64,460	$35,390	26,310
4	Couriers and Messengers	$63,020	$33,800	28,740
5	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$59,270	$32,880	640
6	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$59,070	$33,700	380
7	Federal government, including USPS	$58,020	$40,140	5,070
8	Postal Service (federal government)	$58,020	$40,140	5,070
9	School and Employee Bus Transportation	$56,760	$26,580	110
10	Telecommunications	$56,130	$29,870	120
11	Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	$55,290	$21,930	280
12	Other Pipeline Transportation	$54,320	$31,220	410
13	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$53,090	$32,330	350
14	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$52,360	$30,530	370
15	Rail Transportation	$51,900	$36,230	500
16	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$51,060	$22,330	360
17	Spectator Sports	$50,200	$26,860	420
18	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$50,160	$24,290	800
19	Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries	$49,560	$26,310	440
20	Pipeline Transportation	$48,820	$28,330	1,220
21	Information	$48,680	$30,790	750
22	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$48,610	$28,510	430
23	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$48,420	$36,060	50
24	Scientific Research and Development Services	$48,420	$36,060	50
25	Coal Mining	$47,840	$28,550	2,910
26	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$46,410	$28,570	1,090
27	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$46,230	$33,440	700
28	Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation	$46,060	$28,980	190
29	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$45,820	$40,780	340
30	Metal Ore Mining	$45,770	$30,140	2,440
31	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$45,160	$31,120	280
32	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$44,950	$31,200	150
33	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$44,790	$26,690	750
34	Ship and Boat Building	$44,700	$26,290	240
35	Newspaper Publishers	$44,690	$34,270	n/a
36	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$44,650	$33,190	150
37	Utilities	$44,560	$28,810	1,620
38	Natural Gas Distribution	$44,550	$29,280	760
39	Educational Services - Privately owned	$44,430	$26,830	240
40	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$44,390	$32,830	170
41	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$44,390	$32,830	170
42	Traveler Accommodation	$43,920	$29,750	30
43	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$43,650	$32,180	520
44	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$43,540	$28,160	4,370
45	Accommodation	$43,400	$27,700	40
46	Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers	$43,340	$28,090	63,650
47	Other Personal Services	$43,140	$30,470	n/a
48	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$42,840	$31,700	390
49	Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing	$42,610	$27,280	160
50	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$42,390	$30,800	690
51	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$42,330	$24,770	60
52	Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers	$42,250	$29,190	14,990
53	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$42,130	$29,660	2,180
54	Chemical Manufacturing	$42,050	$27,590	7,070
55	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$41,820	$28,470	600
56	Dairy Product Manufacturing	$41,760	$29,760	4,380
57	General Freight Trucking	$41,690	$26,280	585,720
58	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$41,570	$28,350	230
59	Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	$41,570	$27,520	8,460
60	Beverage Manufacturing	$41,540	$26,960	6,050
61	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	$41,480	$26,920	6,120
62	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$41,460	$28,550	2,350
63	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$41,360	$28,340	9,310
64	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$41,350	$29,120	2,220
65	Truck Transportation	$41,240	$26,210	823,130
66	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	$41,220	$29,820	460
67	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$41,200	$25,890	80
68	Oil and Gas Extraction	$41,180	$27,660	1,710
69	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$41,130	$28,130	1,190
70	Transportation and Warehousing	$41,110	$25,630	945,800
71	Other Support Activities for Transportation	$41,070	$26,150	1,430
72	Roofing Contractors	$41,000	$27,670	430
73	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$40,950	$26,170	29,780
74	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	$40,950	$27,600	140
75	Other Building Equipment Contractors	$40,950	$31,590	930
76	Grain and Oilseed Milling	$40,800	$26,500	410
77	Engineering Services	$40,730	$26,910	260
78	Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing	$40,730	$25,730	4,030
79	Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	$40,730	$28,210	70
80	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$40,710	$26,910	136,900
81	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	$40,620	$27,590	2,300
82	Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers	$40,560	$26,640	4,740
83	Educational Support Services	$40,420	$22,010	40
84	Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	$40,250	$27,510	9,900
85	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$40,220	$27,920	740
86	Support Activities for Mining	$40,150	$30,170	23,910
87	Specialized Freight Trucking	$40,100	$26,070	237,410
88	Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	$40,090	$16,790	30
89	Facilities Support Services	$40,050	$26,840	540
90	Support Activities for Rail Transportation	$39,820	$25,410	810
91	Forging and Stamping	$39,710	$25,800	420
92	Support Activities for Air Transportation	$39,680	$23,600	370
93	Utility System Construction	$39,650	$28,200	11,700
94	Rental and Leasing Services	$39,640	$26,460	15,890
95	Mining	$39,590	$27,940	41,200
96	Commercial and Industrial Machinery Equipment (except Auto and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	$39,580	$27,720	1,700
97	Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing	$39,570	$26,470	160
98	Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	$39,550	$27,030	24,240
99	Building Equipment Contractors	$39,540	$28,130	2,810
100	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$39,490	$26,420	16,490