Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.
- O*NET-SOC code
53-3032.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$58,640
Employment, U.S.2,062,040
Median hourly wage$28.19
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,140 | $47,960 | $58,640 | $69,120 | $79,380 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 36,650 | $52,120 | 1.31 |
| Alaska | 3,420 | $70,100 | 0.79 |
| Arizona | 40,150 | $58,080 | 0.93 |
| Arkansas | 32,220 | $51,550 | 1.86 |
| California | 205,090 | $60,230 | 0.85 |
| Colorado | 25,350 | $61,500 | 0.67 |
| Connecticut | 15,740 | $60,490 | 0.70 |
| Delaware | 9,040 | $57,590 | 1.41 |
| District of Columbia | 830 | $64,170 | 0.09 |
| Florida | 112,920 | $50,640 | 0.86 |
| Georgia | 74,840 | $57,050 | 1.15 |
| Hawaii | 4,070 | $59,820 | 0.49 |
| Idaho | 15,920 | $58,770 | 1.40 |
| Illinois | 84,200 | $60,320 | 1.04 |
| Indiana | 59,090 | $60,290 | 1.39 |
| Iowa | 35,040 | $58,070 | 1.69 |
| Kansas | 24,220 | $58,920 | 1.27 |
| Kentucky | 31,760 | $56,340 | 1.20 |
| Louisiana | 28,540 | $49,320 | 1.11 |
| Maine | 9,980 | $57,050 | 1.18 |
| Maryland | 29,150 | $59,360 | 0.80 |
| Massachusetts | 30,890 | $63,030 | 0.64 |
| Michigan | 60,800 | $57,180 | 1.04 |
| Minnesota | 38,770 | $61,990 | 0.99 |
| Mississippi | 24,160 | $51,820 | 1.57 |
| Missouri | 47,760 | $54,550 | 1.23 |
| Montana | 7,830 | $58,870 | 1.15 |
| Nebraska | 23,160 | $58,390 | 1.70 |
| Nevada | 15,010 | $62,290 | 0.73 |
| New Hampshire | 6,960 | $60,280 | 0.77 |
| New Jersey | 47,980 | $63,570 | 0.84 |
| New Mexico | 11,820 | $50,500 | 1.02 |
| New York | 63,700 | $62,050 | 0.50 |
| North Carolina | 62,400 | $51,530 | 0.95 |
| North Dakota | 11,870 | $60,910 | 2.08 |
| Ohio | 83,060 | $59,800 | 1.13 |
| Oklahoma | 27,840 | $54,410 | 1.23 |
| Oregon | 23,970 | $61,980 | 0.92 |
| Pennsylvania | 87,550 | $58,580 | 1.09 |
| Rhode Island | 3,620 | $60,190 | 0.55 |
| South Carolina | 34,170 | $51,130 | 1.12 |
| South Dakota | 6,470 | $58,690 | 1.07 |
| Tennessee | 64,890 | $58,620 | 1.49 |
| Texas | 209,680 | $56,290 | 1.12 |
| Utah | 25,060 | $60,620 | 1.09 |
| Vermont | 3,560 | $60,830 | 0.88 |
| Virginia | 48,750 | $56,860 | 0.89 |
| Washington | 40,530 | $64,760 | 0.86 |
| West Virginia | 12,190 | $49,480 | 1.31 |
| Wisconsin | 53,330 | $58,610 | 1.37 |
| Wyoming | 6,050 | $60,310 | 1.63 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1-2 | 0.967 |
| 2 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 3 | Light Truck Drivers | 1-2 | 0.963 |
| 4 | Motorboat Operators | 1-2 | 0.961 |
| 5 | Crane and Tower Operators | 3 | 0.959 |
| 6 | Locomotive Engineers | 1-2 | 0.957 |
| 7 | Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | 1-2 | 0.956 |
| 8 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 1-2 | 0.953 |
| 9 | Sailors and Marine Oilers | 1-2 | 0.951 |
| 10 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 1-2 | 0.947 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | Coordination | 1.00 | 0.967 |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | Coordination | 1.25 | 0.941 |
| Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.938 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.937 |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | Coordination | 1.13 | 0.937 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | Coordination | 1.25 | 0.934 |
| Logging Equipment Operators | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.926 |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.925 |
| Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.920 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | Active Learning | 0.88 | 0.917 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, excluding software Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Computerized maintenance management system CMMS | 3 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Web browser software | 5 of 20 | 0.5x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 4 of 20 | 0.3x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 4.02 | 3.85 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.87 | 3.25 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.69 | 4.13 |
| English Language | 3.56 | 3.20 |
| Law and Government | 3.05 | 2.59 |
| Mechanical | 2.82 | 3.16 |
| Telecommunications | 2.77 | 2.20 |
| Education and Training | 2.76 | 3.06 |
| Administration and Management | 2.74 | 2.30 |
| Mathematics | 2.66 | 2.39 |
| Geography | 2.54 | 2.49 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.41 | 2.76 |
| Administrative | 2.28 | 1.95 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.15 | 1.64 |
| Production and Processing | 2.07 | 1.94 |
| Physics | 1.95 | 1.41 |
| Communications and Media | 1.92 | 1.58 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.90 | 1.61 |
| Building and Construction | 1.81 | 1.33 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.80 | 1.52 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.77 | 1.35 |
| Psychology | 1.56 | 1.17 |
| Design | 1.55 | 1.08 |
| Chemistry | 1.52 | 1.03 |
| Foreign Language | 1.48 | 0.67 |
| Food Production | 1.47 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.45 | 0.93 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.44 | 1.00 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.36 | 0.91 |
| Biology | 1.33 | 0.68 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.32 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.25 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.12 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Far Vision | 4.12 | 3.88 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Rate Control | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Response Orientation | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Control Precision | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Spatial Orientation | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Reaction Time | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Depth Perception | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Near Vision | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Peripheral Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visualization | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Information Ordering | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Night Vision | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Sound Localization | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Stamina | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Written Expression | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.38 | 1.88 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Memorization | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Originality | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.75 | 0.88 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- 3M Post-it App
- ADP ezLaborManager
- ALK Technologies PC*Miler
- Computerized inventory tracking software
- Eko
- Evernote
- Fog Line Software Truckn Pro
- Inventory tracking software
- MarcoSoft Quo Vadis
- Omnitracs Performance Monitoring
- PeopleNet
- TruckersHelper
- YouTube
- ddlsoftware.com drivers daily log program DDL
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laredo, TX | 5,460 | 3.76 | $49,010 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | 3,470 | 3.00 | $47,430 |
| Odessa, TX | 3,190 | 2.97 | $58,370 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 2,820 | 2.84 | $51,540 |
| Midland, TX | 4,540 | 2.80 | $58,200 |
| Yuba City, CA | 1,790 | 2.64 | $58,230 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 10,110 | 2.63 | $60,470 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 19,460 | 2.40 | $63,070 |
| Morristown, TN | 1,470 | 2.34 | $67,330 |
| Twin Falls, ID | 1,550 | 2.33 | $57,330 |