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Truck driver salary in Texas

Updated November 1, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$56,290median pay per year in Texas, or $27.06 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $38,150lowest 10% earn less
  2. $46,68025th percentile
  3. $56,290median
  4. $64,82075th percentile
  5. $79,400top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $58,640[3]

The median pay for truck drivers in Texas was $56,290 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $2,350 lower than the US median[6].

Jobs in TX
209,680[4]
Rank by median pay
40 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
−4.0%[6]

How much do truck drivers make in Texas?

Half of truck drivers in Texas earned more than $56,290 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $27.06 an hour[1]. The average was a little higher, at $57,990 a year[7].

Across the US, the median for this job was $58,640[3]. Texas was 4.0% lower[6]. Texas had the 40th highest median out of the 50 states and DC[5]. For all jobs in Texas, the median was $48,620[8], so truck drivers earned $7,670 more than that[9].

At the low end, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,150[2]. At the high end, the top-paid 10% earned more than $79,400[2]. Among metro areas with a published median, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the highest, at $59,530[10]. Midland followed among the larger metros listed, at $58,200[11].

OEWS counts people paid a wage or salary. It leaves out self-employed workers and business owners, and the wages do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[12].

Texas vs US pay

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

TXUS
Median per year$56,290[1]$58,640[3]
Median per hour$27.06[1]$28.19[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$38,150[2]$40,140[13]
Top 10% earn more than$79,400[2]$79,380[13]
Jobs209,680[4]2,062,040[3]

Pay by metro area in Texas

Metro areas in Texas with the most jobs for truck drivers, and the median pay in each[11].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX[11]$59,53055,670
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$56,84049,750
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$53,65013,710
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$57,11010,760
El Paso, TX$49,2707,850
Laredo, TX$49,0105,460
Midland, TX$58,2004,540
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$47,0404,390

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for truck drivers in the states that border Texas, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Oklahoma[14]$54,41027,840
Arkansas$51,55032,220
New Mexico$50,50011,820
Louisiana$49,32028,540

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[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: postsecondary nondegree award[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a truck driver make in Texas?
The median was $56,290 a year, and the average was $57,990[1][7].
How much does a truck driver make an hour in Texas?
The median was $27.06 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile wage was $18.34 an hour and the 90th percentile wage was $38.17[17].
Which city in Texas pays truck drivers the most?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the highest median among metro areas with a published figure, at $59,530 a year[10].
Is Texas a good state for truck drivers?
Texas had the 40th highest median out of 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was 4.0% lower than the US median[6].
What do you need to become a truck driver in Texas?
This is a US figure, not a Texas one. Across the US, the typical path starts with a postsecondary nondegree award, no related work experience, and short-term on-the-job training[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Texas was $56,290 per year and $27.06 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 Texas: 10th percentile $38,150, 25th percentile $46,680, 75th percentile $64,820, 90th percentile $79,400. 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 209,680 people worked as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Texas (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Texas had the 40th 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 Texas ($56,290) was $2,350 (4.0%) 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 Texas was $57,990 per year and $27.88 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Texas was $48,620. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Texas was $7,670 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($48,620). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 26 metro areas in or partly in Texas with a published median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX had the highest median annual wage, $59,530. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in states that border Texas (highest first): Oklahoma $54,410; Arkansas $51,550; New Mexico $50,500; Louisiana $49,320. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Texas: 10th percentile $18.34, 25th percentile $22.44, 75th percentile $31.17, 90th percentile $38.17. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only Texas. 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.