Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 North Carolina tax rules.
The figures
The median Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area earns $56,120 a year ($26.98 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn between $47,600 and $64,440 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $44,240 or less and the top 10 percent earn $77,490 or more. BLS estimates 18,700 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area — 13.769 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.04 (about the same concentration as the nation). That is 0.9% of all Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers employment in the United States (2,062,040 jobs nationally). By employment, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is the #16 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. In aggregate, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn about $1.08 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $46,992.62 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is about $0.88 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.5% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #22 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. By employment, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers is the #10 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Placed against the national distribution for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $56,120 falls between the national 25th percentile ($47,960) and the national median ($58,640). Across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median is $49,990 a year — Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers pay is 12.3% above the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $27.89 | $58,020 |
| 10th percentile | $21.27 | $44,240 |
| 25th percentile | $22.89 | $47,600 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $26.98 | $56,120 |
| 75th percentile | $30.98 | $64,440 |
| 90th percentile | $37.26 | $77,490 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn 1.8 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($77,490 against $44,240). The middle half spans $16,840 — from $47,600 to $64,440. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($37.26) is 1.75 times the 10th ($21.27). In the upper half of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $64,440 takes home $51,895.26 and the 90th percentile wage of $77,490 takes home $60,761.08 — $8,865.82 more net for $13,050 more gross. Against the median take-home of $45,541.90, the top decile keeps 1.33 times as much. The mean wage of $58,020 sits 3.4% above the median: higher-paid Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers pull the average up in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Among the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ranks #10 by median pay. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage ladder of covered occupations, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers sits between Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel at $61,850 and Maintenance and Repair Workers, General at $51,000. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers accounts for 1.4% of all employment in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area. The average covered metro employs 29,037 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC employs 0.6 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in North Carolina
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in North Carolina; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $56,120.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $4,554.40 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $3,479.44 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $813.74 |
| North Carolina income tax | $1,730.46 |
| Total deductions | $10,578.10 |
| Net pay (annual) | $45,541.90 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,751.61 |
| Total deduction rate | 18.85% of gross |
At the median, $45,541.90 of the $56,120 gross is kept ($1,751.61 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 18.85%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 17.56% at the 10th percentile, 17.99% at the 25th percentile, 19.47% at the 75th percentile, 21.59% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $12,859.40 on a gross rise of $16,840.
The same engine at the other published points of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($44,240) | $36,470.16 | $1,402.70 | 17.56% |
| 25th percentile ($47,600) | $39,035.86 | $1,501.38 | 17.99% |
| Median ($56,120) | $45,541.90 | $1,751.61 | 18.85% |
| 75th percentile ($64,440) | $51,895.26 | $1,995.97 | 19.47% |
| 90th percentile ($77,490) | $60,761.08 | $2,336.96 | 21.59% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $36,470.16 a year at the 10th percentile to $60,761.08 at the 90th — a spread of $24,290.92 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median wage of $49,990 takes home $40,860.88 a year ($1,571.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.26%). The Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers median take-home of $45,541.90 sits $4,681.02 (above that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC also covers parts of South Carolina. The take-home estimate above uses North Carolina rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the South Carolina paycheck calculator.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earns $58,640 a year ($28.19 an hour). The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $56,120 is $2,520 (4.3%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $58,020 a year in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC against $59,710 nationally, a gap of $1,690 (2.8%).
Set against the whole local market, the Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 90th percentile of $77,490 is 59% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC all-occupations 90th percentile ($130,510), and its 10th percentile of $44,240 is 149% of the area-wide 10th ($29,640).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $56,120 | $26.98 | $58,020 |
| United States | $58,640 | $28.19 | $59,710 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$56,120 a year ($26.98 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $58,020 a year. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #22 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $56,120 in North Carolina?
About $45,541.90 a year ($1,751.61 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 18.85% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $64,440, take-home is $51,895.26.
How does pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC compare with the national median for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers?
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $56,120 is $2,520 (4.3%) below the national median of $58,640 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $77,490, against a national 90th percentile of $79,380.
How much do the top 10% of Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers earn in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$77,490 a year or more ($37.26 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
On $77,490 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $60,761.08 a year ($2,336.96 per biweekly paycheck) in North Carolina under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 21.59%.
How many Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers jobs are there in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
BLS estimates 18,700 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — 13.769 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The location quotient is 1.04 — about the same concentration as the nation. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
From $36,470.16 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($44,240) to $60,761.08 at the 90th ($77,490), under the same single-filer assumptions in North Carolina.
What is the total wage bill for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
About $1.08 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 18,700 multiplied by the mean wage of $58,020.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.