CareerFacts

All careers › Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers › Iowa

Truck driver salary in Iowa

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$58,070median pay per year in Iowa, or $27.92 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $42,390lowest 10% earn less
  2. $48,35025th percentile
  3. $58,070median
  4. $64,19075th percentile
  5. $77,910top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $58,640[3]

Truck drivers in Iowa earned a median wage of $58,070 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $570 below the US median for the same job[6].

Jobs in IA
35,040[4]
Rank by median pay
33 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
−1.0%[6]

How much do truck drivers make in Iowa?

The median wage for truck drivers in Iowa was $58,070 a year, or $27.92 an hour[1]. Half of drivers in the state earned more than that and half earned less. The average was a bit higher at $60,070 a year[7]. About 35,040 people held these jobs in Iowa[4].

Iowa's median was 1.0% lower than the US median of $58,640[6]. It placed 33rd among the 50 states and DC[5]. Compared with all jobs in Iowa, truck drivers earned $9,530 more than the statewide median of $48,540[8].

Pay spreads out quite a bit. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,390 a year, and the top 10% earned more than $77,910[2]. Among metro areas, Iowa City had the highest median at $61,960[9]. Des Moines-West Des Moines came in at $60,720, while Sioux City was lower at $51,540[10]. Keep in mind that these figures leave out self-employed drivers and owners. They also skip bonuses that are not tied to output and the value of benefits like health coverage[11].

Iowa vs US pay

Pay for truck drivers in Iowa next to the national figures[1][3].

IAUS
Median per year$58,070[1]$58,640[3]
Median per hour$27.92[1]$28.19[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$42,390[2]$40,140[12]
Top 10% earn more than$77,910[2]$79,380[12]
Jobs35,040[4]2,062,040[3]

Pay by metro area in Iowa

Metro areas in Iowa with the most jobs for truck drivers, and the median pay in each[10]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Omaha, NE-IA[10]$58,01010,210
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$60,7207,840
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$58,2803,070
Cedar Rapids, IA$58,9003,030
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD$51,5402,820
Iowa City, IA$61,9602,360
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$58,7301,600
Dubuque, IA$58,4701,310

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for truck drivers in the states that border Iowa, highest first[13].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Minnesota[13]$61,99038,770
Illinois$60,32084,200
South Dakota$58,6906,470
Wisconsin$58,61053,330
Nebraska$58,39023,160
Missouri$54,55047,760

Median pay for truck drivers in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for truck drivers are projected to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035[14]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: postsecondary nondegree award[15].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a truck driver make in Iowa?
The median pay for truck drivers in Iowa was $58,070 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $60,070 a year[7].
How much does a truck driver make an hour in Iowa?
The median hourly wage was $27.92[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $20.38 an hour, and the top 10% earned more than $37.46[2][16].
Which city in Iowa pays truck drivers the most?
Iowa City had the highest median wage for truck drivers among metro areas in or partly in Iowa, at $61,960 a year[9].
Is Iowa a good state for truck drivers?
Iowa ranked 33rd for median truck driver pay among the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was 1.0% below the US median[6]. The job also makes up a larger share of all jobs in Iowa than in the US overall, with a location quotient of 1.69[17].
What do you need to become a truck driver in Iowa?
Across the US, the typical path is a postsecondary nondegree award plus short-term on-the-job training, with no related work experience needed[15]. This is a US figure, not one for Iowa alone.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Iowa was $58,070 per year and $27.92 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Iowa: 10th percentile $42,390, 25th percentile $48,350, 75th percentile $64,190, 90th percentile $77,910. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. 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
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 35,040 people worked as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Iowa (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Iowa had the 33rd 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
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Iowa ($58,070) was $570 (1.0%) lower than the US median ($58,640). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Iowa was $60,070 per year and $28.88 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Iowa was $9,530 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($48,540). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 9 metro areas in or partly in Iowa with a published median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, Iowa City, IA had the highest median annual wage, $61,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in states that border Iowa (highest first): Minnesota $61,990; Illinois $60,320; South Dakota $58,690; Wisconsin $58,610; Nebraska $58,390; Missouri $54,550. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Iowa: 10th percentile $20.38, 25th percentile $23.25, 75th percentile $30.86, 90th percentile $37.46. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Iowa had 22.469 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state. Its location quotient was 1.69: this job makes up a larger share of all jobs in the state than in the US as a whole. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only Iowa. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.