Example household · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

Truck driver (heavy) · San Diego, CA

Truck driver (heavy) in San Diego: −$608/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median truck driver (heavy) wage in San Diego at $59,780 a year. About 10,440 truck driver (heavy) jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.51). The 10th percentile is $40,880 and the 90th is $78,250. Pay ranks 93rd-highest of 387 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 2.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,292/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps −$608 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, at $934 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

After tax and rent

−$608

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$59,780

$40,880 to $78,250

Rent (1 bd)

$2,292

$2,728 (2 bd)

Employment

10,440

Location quotient 0.51

Pay rank

93rd of 387

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

2.2×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, truck driver (heavy) pay of $59,780.

  • Taxes$950
  • Rent$2,292
  • Other$2,348

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay
$59,780
Federal income tax
−$4,994
Social Security and Medicare
−$4,573
State income tax (CA)
−$1,832
Take-home pay
$48,381
Effective tax rate
19.1%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br
$2,292
Groceries
$468
Getting around
$650
Healthcare
$527
Utilities and internet
$293
Everything else
$410
Total spending
$4,640

After tax and rent

−$608 left/mo

Rank every metro for a truck driver (heavy)

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Las Vegas, $934/mo.

Truck driver (heavy) leftover by city →Best cities for truck drivers to move to →

Truck driver (heavy) nearby

Other jobs in San Diego

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Questions

What does a truck driver (heavy) make in San Diego?

$59,780 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 10,440 truck driver (heavy) jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a truck driver (heavy) in San Diego?

−$608 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,292, and pay covers 2.2× a year of it.

Where nearby would a truck driver (heavy) keep more?

Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, leaves $934 a month, more than San Diego.

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