SOC 53-3033 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Light Truck Drivers — North Carolina
North Carolina · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in North Carolina is $39,910 a year, trailing the national median of $44,860 by 11.0%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +7.3%
- Openings per year
- 120,200
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
6.8% 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 North Carolina.
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 North Carolina is $39,910 a year, trailing the national median of $44,860 by 11.0%. Half of workers earn between $32,750 and $46,700. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $26,490 and the ninetieth at $61,340.
The area has 31,810 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 6.4 of every thousand jobs. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, North Carolina ranks 44th by median wage. Pinehurst leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $46,600. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 608th of 745 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $26,490 | −40.9% |
| 25th | $32,750 | −27.0% |
| Median (50th) | $39,910 | −11.0% |
| 75th | $46,700 | +4.1% |
| 90th | $61,340 | +36.7% |
| Mean | $42,660 | −4.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in North Carolina
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pinehurst | $46,600 | 230 | |
| 2 | Charlotte | $42,860 | 9,560 | |
| 3 | Asheville | $40,980 | 1,430 | |
| 4 | Durham | $40,730 | 1,820 | |
| 5 | Greensboro | $40,650 | 3,030 | |
| 6 | Raleigh | $39,840 | 3,800 | |
| 7 | Greenville | $39,470 | 480 | |
| 8 | Fayetteville | $39,160 | 1,050 | |
| 9 | Wilmington | $39,070 | 1,170 | |
| 10 | Winston-Salem | $38,360 | 2,040 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in North Carolina run 5.7% below the national average, so the median of $39,910 goes as far as $42,322 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 5.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$39,910as reported by BLSLocal price level
94.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$42,322US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $39,910 a year, 11.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $26,490 to $61,340 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 31,810 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 44th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Pinehurst, at $46,600.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Light Truck Drivers in North Carolina?
The median annual wage is $39,910, or $19.19 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 $44,860, so pay in North Carolina is 11.0% 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 North Carolina earns more than $61,340 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $26,490 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 Pinehurst, at $46,600 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 31,810 jobs in this occupation in North Carolina. 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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