How much does a Truck Driver make in Washington?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $63,760 for Truck Drivers in Washington as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $58,390 and the 75th-percentile is $75,330.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) Truck Driver salary in Washington?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 108.4 for Washington), the real-wage equivalent is $58,835 — what the $63,760 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $53,880 to $69,512.

What does the top of the Truck Driver pay scale look like in Washington?

The 90th percentile lands at $88,710. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $75,330.

How many Truck Drivers does Washington employ?

BLS OES counts 40,700 Truck Drivers employed in Washington in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

How wide is the wage spread in Washington?

P10 to P90 spans $48,420 to $88,710. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Washington?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Washington.

OTR vs regional vs local truck driver pay in Washington?

BLS aggregates Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) into one figure. In Washington, OTR (over-the-road, multi-week trips) typically pays the highest gross — $65-90K range with experience — but on a real per-hour basis once away-from-home time is counted, regional (home weekly) and local/dedicated (home daily) routes often net comparable take-home. Local LTL and dedicated-fleet routes in Washington frequently pay above the BLS median when union-represented (Teamsters).

Washington Truck Driver Salary: BLS $64K Median, Real $59K (2026)

TL;DR

Truck Drivers in Washington earn a BLS median of $63,760, with real take-home of $58,835 after BEA RPP adjustment.
P25-P75 spread runs $58,390 to $75,330; P10 floor $48,420, P90 ceiling $88,710.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
Truck Driver ranking: #3 on the BLS table, #22 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — Washington

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$48,420	$44,680
P25 (lower quartile)	$58,390	$53,880
P50 (median)	$63,760	$58,835
P75 (upper quartile)	$75,330	$69,512
P90 (top tier)	$88,710	$81,858
Mean	$67,060	$61,881
Employment	40,700 Truck Drivers in Washington

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Washington index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	108.4
Goods	106.9
Services	84.0
Rents	125.5

Washington is a high-cost state — RPP 108.4 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (125.5) and services (84.0).

After-tax take-home — Washington (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Truck Driver)	$63,760	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$5,513	8.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax (capital gains tax above $262K)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$4,878	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$53,369	83.7% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$49,247	÷ (108.4 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Washington state-tax burden means for Truck Driver take-home

Washington levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $3,188 a year for a Truck Driver at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After cost of living, real take-home is $49,247 — lower than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP exceeds 100.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $57,440 for Truck Drivers with mean pay of $58,400 and total employment of 2,070,480. Washington sits at #3 on nominal pay and #22 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Washington falls 19 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Truck Driver make in Washington?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $63,760 for Truck Drivers in Washington as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $58,390 and the 75th-percentile is $75,330.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) Truck Driver salary in Washington?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 108.4 for Washington), the real-wage equivalent is $58,835 — what the $63,760 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $53,880 to $69,512.
What does the top of the Truck Driver pay scale look like in Washington?: The 90th percentile lands at $88,710. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $75,330.
How many Truck Drivers does Washington employ?: BLS OES counts 40,700 Truck Drivers employed in Washington in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
How wide is the wage spread in Washington?: P10 to P90 spans $48,420 to $88,710. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Washington?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Washington.
OTR vs regional vs local truck driver pay in Washington?: BLS aggregates Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) into one figure. In Washington, OTR (over-the-road, multi-week trips) typically pays the highest gross — $65-90K range with experience — but on a real per-hour basis once away-from-home time is counted, regional (home weekly) and local/dedicated (home daily) routes often net comparable take-home. Local LTL and dedicated-fleet routes in Washington frequently pay above the BLS median when union-represented (Teamsters).

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 53-3032, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Washington Truck Driver pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.