Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver Salary in Corpus Christi, TX

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in the Corpus Christi, TX metro area earn a median $49,000 a year — 16% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $41,552 take-home, or $3,463 a month.

Median salary
$49,000
$23.56 per hour
Typical range
$34,990 – $73,900
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Corpus Christi, TX
2,570
1.01× national concentration
▲0.2%
Pay trend: The median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Corpus Christi, TX rose from $48,910 (May 2024) to $49,000 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 2.2%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver salary in Corpus Christi, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver in Corpus Christi, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$41,552
per year · effective tax rate 15.2%
$3,463Monthly
$1,731Twice a month
$1,598Every 2 weeks
$19.98Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,700
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,038
  • Medicare (1.45%)$711
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$41,552

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver pay by experience in Corpus Christi, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$34,990$16.82$30,294$2,525
25th percentile$44,290$21.29$37,767$3,147
Median (50th)$49,000$23.56$41,552$3,463
75th percentile$60,340$29.01$50,663$4,222
90th percentile (top earners)$73,900$35.53$60,819$5,068

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $49,000 buys in Corpus Christi, TX

Prices in Corpus Christi, TX are 7.3% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 15% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver's $41,552 take-home pay has the buying power of $44,838 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,115
32% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,368
40% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$2,348
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver jobs are about as common in Corpus Christi, TX as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.01).

Best-paying cities for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, adjusted for cost of living

Corpus Christi, TX ranks #117 of 134 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Lincoln, NE $81,790$63,527$69,367
2Memphis, TN $63,070$52,857$57,341
3Sioux Falls, SD $60,820$51,049$56,326
4Iowa City, IA $61,960$50,262$54,926
5Toledo, OH $60,410$49,841$54,497
6Fargo, ND $58,900$49,506$54,480
7Cedar Rapids, IA $58,900$47,920$53,865
8Youngstown, OH $56,810$47,047$53,833
117Corpus Christi, TX$49,000$41,552$44,838

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 134 metros →

About the job: heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers’ license.

Typical education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+3.8% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver salaries elsewhere in Texas

Frequently asked questions

How much does a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver make in Corpus Christi, TX?

The median heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver salary in the Corpus Christi, TX metro area is $49,000 a year, or about $23.56 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $44,290 and $60,340.

What is a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver’s take-home pay in Corpus Christi, TX?

On the median $49,000 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $41,552 a year ($3,463 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Corpus Christi, TX a good place to work as a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver?

Pay here is 16% below the national median of $58,640. Local prices are 7.3% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $44,838 would in a typical U.S. city. Corpus Christi, TX ranks #117 of 134 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver afford rent in Corpus Christi, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Corpus Christi, TX is $1,115 a month ($1,368 for two bedrooms) — 32% of a median heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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