Truck Driver Salary in Texas

What truck drivers earn across Texas, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.

Median salary: $56,290
Median hourly wage: $27.06
Top 10% earn: $79,400
Kept after costs: $15,205

Pay range

Half of Texas's 209,680 truck drivers earn more than $56,290 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $58,640.

10th percentile$38,15025th percentile$46,680Median$56,29075th percentile$64,82090th percentile$79,400

US median for the same job: $58,640

Pay over time

In Texas, truck driver pay rose 47% from 2015 to 2025, or 8% after inflation.

Median pay, 2015 to 2025

Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025

May	Median pay	In 2025 dollars	US median
2015	$38,280	$51,996	$40,260
2016	$39,230	$52,623	$41,340
2017	$40,360	$53,009	$42,480
2018	$41,760	$53,540	$43,680
2019	$43,620	$54,930	$45,260
2020	$45,630	$56,761	$47,130
2021	$46,960	$55,794	$48,310
2022	$46,820	$51,506	$49,920
2023	$50,170	$53,009	$54,320
2024	$53,070	$54,466	$57,440
2025	$56,290	$56,290	$58,640

BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.

What a truck driver keeps in Texas

The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

Truck driver, Texas

Median salary: $56,290
Federal income tax: −$4,575
Payroll taxes: −$4,306
State income tax: $0
Rent, 1-bedroom: −$14,964
Everyday costs: −$17,240

You keep$15,205

a year, or $1,267 a month

Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.

Median salary$56,290Federal income tax−$4,575Payroll taxes−$4,306State income tax$0Rent, 1-bedroom−$14,964Everyday costs−$17,240You keep$15,205

At three pay levels

Half of truck drivers in Texas earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.

Pay level	Salary	Taxes	You keep
Lower-paid (25th percentile)	$46,680	−$6,993	$7,483
Typical (median)	$56,290	−$8,881	$15,205
Higher-paid (75th percentile)	$64,820	−$10,557	$22,059

Compare cities in Texas

Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a truck driver keeps in each Texas city we cover, using local pay and rent.

City	Workers	Middle half earns	Median pay	1-bedroom rent	You keep
Killeen	1,940	$45,700–$73,000	$57,040	$952	$20,038
Dallas	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$1,452	$14,635
Houston	49,750	$46,830–$64,410	$56,840	$1,295	$14,620
San Antonio	13,710	$46,670–$63,540	$53,650	$1,221	$14,058
Garland	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$1,518	$13,843
Fort Worth	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$1,549	$13,471
Irving	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$1,560	$13,339
Laredo	5,460	$39,610–$63,700	$49,010	$975	$13,331
El Paso	7,850	$43,890–$63,860	$49,270	$1,029	$12,830
Arlington	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$1,630	$12,499
McAllen	4,390	$37,860–$57,480	$47,040	$925	$12,329
Lubbock	2,200	$42,280–$61,690	$49,080	$1,072	$12,154
Austin	10,760	$47,250–$64,120	$57,110	$1,634	$11,886
Corpus Christi	2,570	$44,290–$60,340	$49,000	$1,237	$10,166
Plano	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$1,846	$9,907
McKinney	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$1,997	$8,095
Frisco	55,670	$49,090–$73,020	$59,530	$2,079	$7,111

Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.

Try a city with your own salary

Truck driver in Killeen, TX

Median salary: $57,040
Federal income tax: −$4,665
Payroll taxes: −$4,364
State income tax: $0
Rent, 1-bedroom: −$11,424
Everyday costs: −$16,549

You keep$20,038

a year, or $1,670 a month

Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.

Salary$57,040Federal income tax−$4,665Payroll taxes−$4,364State income tax$0Rent, 1-bedroom−$11,424Everyday costs−$16,549You keep$20,038

Cost of living in Killeen

Truck driver pay in other states

Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Texas comes 21 of 51. The ten states where a truck driver keeps the most:

Alaska$24,587
North Dakota$23,886
Wyoming$23,451
South Dakota$21,343
Iowa$19,992
Ohio$19,926
Indiana$18,898
Nebraska$18,616
Tennessee$18,448
Kansas$18,286
Texas$15,205

Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.

Truck driver salary by state

Pay and what's kept for truck drivers in every other state we cover, A–Z.

Other jobs in Texas

The 10 jobs closest to a truck driver in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.

Job	Median pay	You keep	Against a truck driver
Diesel mechanic$2,025 more	$58,810	$17,230	$2,025 more
Electrician$1,832 more	$58,570	$17,037	$1,832 more
HVAC technician$1,181 more	$57,760	$16,386	$1,181 more
Social worker$1,112 more	$57,674	$16,317	$1,112 more
Paramedic$972 more	$57,500	$16,177	$972 more
Welder$2,371 less	$53,340	$12,834	$2,371 less
Carpenter$5,938 less	$48,900	$9,267	$5,938 less
Auto mechanic$6,412 less	$48,310	$8,793	$6,412 less
Pharmacy technician$8,348 less	$45,900	$6,857	$8,348 less
Dental assistant$8,726 less	$45,430	$6,479	$8,726 less

All 40 salary pages in Texas

Moving for a job?

Questions people ask

How much does a truck driver make in Texas?

The median truck driver salary in Texas is $56,290 a year ($27.06 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $38,150 and the top 10% earn over $79,400 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

What does a truck driver take home in Texas?

On the median salary, a truck driver in Texas pays about $8,881 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $15,205 a year.

Where in Texas do truck drivers keep the most?

Of the Texas cities we cover, truck drivers keep the most in Killeen: a median salary of $57,040 and a $952 1-bedroom leave $20,038 a year after taxes and everyday costs.

Which states are best for truck drivers after costs?

Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Texas comes 21 of 51. The top states are Alaska ($24,587), North Dakota ($23,886), Wyoming ($23,451).

Do truck drivers in Texas earn more than the US average?

No. The Texas median of $56,290 is $2,350 below the US median of $58,640.

Sources and method

Occupation codes (SOC): 53-3032. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.

Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate