Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Kentucky

Want to work in Kentucky as a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver? Read this first!

You’re in luck! Jobs for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Kentucky are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Kentucky is growing faster than average.

• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Kentucky earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver Career?

• Transportation & Materials Moving
• Ground Transportation
• Truck & Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor

How Many Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Work in Kentucky?

24,850 people worked as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in 2018 in this state.

There were 25,210 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 360 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 25,450 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers working in it, which means Kentucky has fewer Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers than average.

Job Projections for Kentucky

Jobs for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in this state are growing at a rate of 5.9% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 5.8%.

Kentucky Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 3,360 annual job openings, and a total of 31,130 jobs for Kentucky Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 213,500 annual jobs and 1,980,100 total jobs in 2026.

What do Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Make in Kentucky?

In 2018 wages for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ranged from $27,750 to $66,130 with $43,700 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $13.34 to $31.79. The median hourly rate was $21.01.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $19.87 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $1.14.

The median salary in Kentucky is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top Kentucky Metros for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	12,150	$44,010
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	8,890	$46,980
Lexington-Fayette, KY	3,430	$42,720
Evansville, IN-KY	2,280	$40,650
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	1,730	$39,530
Clarksville, TN-KY	920	$35,460
Bowling Green, KY	750	$37,510
Owensboro, KY	650	$42,380
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY	600	$38,310

Top States for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Employment

The table below shows the states where most Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	191,490	$41,760
California	138,380	$45,790
Florida	87,960	$38,780
Pennsylvania	82,330	$45,570
Ohio	74,090	$42,970
Illinois	70,380	$47,830
Tennessee	63,030	$41,940
Georgia	62,500	$42,180
New York	62,360	$47,000
North Carolina	58,110	$42,140
Michigan	55,940	$41,360
Indiana	54,560	$44,480
Wisconsin	49,760	$44,200
New Jersey	48,760	$48,340
Missouri	44,470	$44,040
Virginia	42,820	$40,620
Iowa	38,470	$41,270
Minnesota	34,860	$46,990
Arkansas	34,700	$39,070
Alabama	32,170	$38,610

Below are the states where Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Alaska	$56,300
North Dakota	$52,120
District of Columbia	$52,060
Nevada	$48,850
Connecticut	$48,540
Wyoming	$48,470
New Jersey	$48,340
Massachusetts	$48,290
Illinois	$47,830
Washington	$47,700

Related Careers in Kentucky

Discover similar careers:

Occupation	Kentucky Employment Total
Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers	15,680
Driver/Sales Workers	5,200

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.