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Truck drivers (CDL) in Tennessee: what they earn
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Tennessee earned a median $58,620 a year in May 2025, $28.18 an hour. 64,890 people held the job, 19.8 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is about the same as the national figure of $58,640, and Tennessee ranks 28 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Tennessee
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.21 | $39,960 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.95 | $47,740 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.18 | $58,620 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.30 | $73,420 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $40.04 | $83,280 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.06 | $60,440 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Tennessee against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Montana | $58,870 | 7,830 |
| 26 | Idaho | $58,770 | 15,920 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $58,690 | 6,470 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $58,620 | 64,890 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $58,610 | 53,330 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $58,580 | 87,550 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $58,390 | 23,160 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Tennessee | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $58,620 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $28.18 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $39,960 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $83,280 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 64,890 | 2,062,040 |
Other trades in Tennessee
Electricians ($61,090) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($58,600) · HVAC technicians ($55,490) · Welders ($48,040)
See all five ranked by pay in Tennessee.
Licensing requirements, apprenticeship pay and the time it takes to reach journeyman in Tennessee are being collected from the state authority and will appear here once sourced and cited. Numbers on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates; see how the numbers are built.