Salinas, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a truck driver make in Salinas, CA?

In the Salinas, CA metropolitan area, truck drivers earned a median of $53,390 a year ($25.67 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,140 of these jobs there. That is 13% above the $47,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,480 and $76,970; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $43,836 in take-home pay.

Truck driver pay in Salinas, CA at a glance

Median salary

$53,390$25.67 per hour · $4,449 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,480$18.50/hr
25th percentile$45,050$21.66/hr
75th percentile$63,130$30.35/hr
90th percentile$76,970$37.01/hr
Jobs in this metro2,140Location quotient 0.87 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% aboveAll-jobs median $47,380
Against California11% belowStatewide median $60,230
Against the U.S.9% belowNational median $58,640

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Truck driver salary in Salinas, CA after taxes

$53,390
$20,000$110,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$53,390
Net 82%
Fed 8%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$43,836After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,653Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,686Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,227 / yr
California state income tax$1,243 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,084 / yr

Truck drivers pay range in Salinas, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Salinas, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What truck drivers earned in the Salinas, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$18.50/hr$3,207$38,480$32,577
25th percentile$21.66/hr$3,754$45,050$37,593
MedianMedian$25.67/hr$4,449$53,390$43,836
75th percentile$30.35/hr$5,261$63,130$51,078
90th percentile$37.01/hr$6,414$76,970$60,046

Is $53,390 a good salary in Salinas, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for truck drivers next to both.

Median household income$97,230Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)109.09% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Truck driver pay in Salinas, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for truck drivers in Salinas, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for truck drivers in the Salinas, CA metro area was $53,390 in May 2025, about $4,449 a month or $25.67 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $60,230, so the metro pays 11% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for truck drivers in Salinas, CA?

The median hourly wage for truck drivers in Salinas, CA was $25.67 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.01.

How many truck drivers work in Salinas, CA?

BLS estimated 2,140 jobs for truck drivers in the metro in May 2025, or 11.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.87 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for truck drivers in Salinas, CA?

BLS wage estimates for truck drivers in Salinas, CA run from $38,480 at the 10th percentile to $45,050 at the 25th, $63,130 at the 75th, and $76,970 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do truck drivers take home after taxes in Salinas, CA?

On a median gross salary of $53,390, an estimated $43,836 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,686 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,554 (an effective rate of 17.9%).

How much do truck drivers make per month in Salinas, CA?

On the median annual salary of $53,390, gross monthly income is $4,449. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,653 per month (or $1,686 every two weeks).

Is $53,390 a good salary in Salinas, CA?

At $53,390, the median salary for truck drivers is 54.9% of the Salinas, CA median household income ($97,230). It is 13% above the $47,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 109.0, so prices here run 9% above the U.S. average.