SOC 53-3032 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers — Alabama
Alabama · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Alabama is $52,120 a year, trailing the national median of $58,640 by 11.1%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.0%
- Openings per year
- 237,600
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
6.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Alabama.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Alabama is $52,120 a year, trailing the national median of $58,640 by 11.1%. Half of workers earn between $44,640 and $64,870. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $38,240 and the ninetieth at $77,620.
The area has 36,650 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 17.3 of every thousand jobs. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Alabama ranks 43rd by median wage. Dothan leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $61,900. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 353rd of 690 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,240 | −34.8% |
| 25th | $44,640 | −23.9% |
| Median (50th) | $52,120 | −11.1% |
| 75th | $64,870 | +10.6% |
| 90th | $77,620 | +32.4% |
| Mean | $56,230 | −4.1% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dothan | $61,900 | 1,640 | |
| 2 | Decatur | $59,390 | 1,420 | |
| 3 | Huntsville | $56,690 | 2,570 | |
| 4 | Montgomery | $54,860 | 2,540 | |
| 5 | Birmingham | $54,460 | 9,170 | |
| 6 | Gadsden | $54,410 | 540 | |
| 7 | Mobile | $51,010 | 3,510 | |
| 8 | Anniston | $50,550 | 680 | |
| 9 | Tuscaloosa | $50,190 | 1,440 | |
| 10 | Auburn | $49,210 | 1,090 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Alabama run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $52,120 goes as far as $58,694 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.1% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$52,120as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$58,694US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $52,120 a year, 11.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $38,240 to $77,620 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 36,650 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 43rd of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Dothan, at $61,900.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Alabama?
The median annual wage is $52,120, or $25.06 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $58,640, so pay in Alabama is 11.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Alabama earns more than $77,620 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $38,240 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Dothan, at $61,900 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 36,650 jobs in this occupation in Alabama. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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