All careers › Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers › California
Truck driver salary in California
- $41,830lowest 10% earn less
- $48,74025th percentile
- $60,230median
- $72,33075th percentile
- $81,960top 10% earn more
The median pay for a truck driver in California was $60,230 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $1,590 higher than the US median[6].
How much do truck drivers make in California?
The median is the middle of the pay range. Half of the truck drivers in California earned more than $60,230 a year, or $28.96 an hour, and half earned less[1]. The average was a bit higher, at $62,020 a year[7]. Across the US, the median was $58,640[3], so California came in $1,590 (2.7%) above it[6]. For all jobs in the state, the median was $58,240[8]. Truck drivers were $1,990 above that[9].
At the low end, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41,830 a year[2]. At the high end, the top 10% earned more than $81,960[2]. The middle half of truck drivers earned between $48,740 and $72,330[2]. The percentile figures are boundaries, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[10].
Among the metro areas with the highest job counts, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont had a median of $66,450[11]. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim had 61,270 jobs, with a median of $60,340[11]. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median of the 25 metro areas with a published figure, at $70,730[12]. OEWS counts wage and salary workers only. It leaves out the self-employed and owners of unincorporated firms, and it does not include bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[13].
California vs US pay
Pay for truck drivers in California next to the national figures[1][3].
Pay by metro area in California
Metro areas in California with the most jobs for truck drivers, and the median pay in each[11].
| Metro area | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA[11] | $60,340 | 61,270 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $60,580 | 40,230 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,450 | 16,450 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $60,810 | 10,960 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $59,780 | 10,440 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $60,470 | 10,110 |
| Fresno, CA | $55,740 | 8,170 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $57,690 | 7,050 |
Pay in nearby states
Median pay for truck drivers in the states that border California, highest first[15].
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada[15] | $62,290 | 15,010 |
| Oregon | $61,980 | 23,970 |
| Arizona | $58,080 | 40,150 |
Job outlook and training
Across the US, jobs for truck drivers are projected to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035[16]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: postsecondary nondegree award[17].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a truck driver make in California?
- The median pay was $60,230 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $62,020 a year[7].
- How much does a truck driver make an hour in California?
- The median was $28.96 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile was $20.11 an hour and the 90th percentile was $39.41[18].
- Which city in California pays truck drivers the most?
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median of the 25 metro areas with a published figure, at $70,730 a year[12].
- Is California a good state for truck drivers?
- California had the 19th highest median annual wage for truck drivers out of the 50 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median of $60,230 was above the US median of $58,640[1][3].
- What do you need to become a truck driver in California?
- Across the US, the typical path is a postsecondary nondegree award, no work experience in a related job, and short-term on-the-job training[17]. This is a US figure, not one for California.
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California was $60,230 per year and $28.96 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California: 10th percentile $41,830, 25th percentile $48,740, 75th percentile $72,330, 90th percentile $81,960. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in the US as a whole was $58,640 per year and $28.19 per hour, with about 2,062,040 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 205,090 people worked as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: California had the 19th highest median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California ($60,230) was $1,590 (2.7%) higher than the US median ($58,640). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California was $62,020 per year and $29.82 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in California was $58,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California was $1,990 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($58,240). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 25 metro areas in or partly in California with a published median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median annual wage, $70,730. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in the US: 10th percentile $40,140, 25th percentile $47,960, 75th percentile $69,120, 90th percentile $79,380. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in states that border California (highest first): Nevada $62,290; Oregon $61,980; Arizona $58,080. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is projected to grow 3.8% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 214,500 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: education needed for entry: Postsecondary nondegree award; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California: 10th percentile $20.11, 25th percentile $23.43, 75th percentile $34.77, 90th percentile $39.41. BLS OEWS, May 2025