Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
9 metro areas in Minnesota publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 35,930 jobs. The three largest employers of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington (20,430 jobs), Fargo (3,570 jobs), Sioux Falls (2,540 jobs), which hold 73.9% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $58,900 to $64,200 a year, against $61,990 for the whole state and $58,640 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $58,640 a year for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $40,140 and the highest-paid tenth over $79,380). Employment is projected to change by +3.8% between 2025 and 2035, with about 214,500 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Postsecondary nondegree award; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Minnesota: the highest median pay is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area ($64,200 a year); the most jobs are in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area (20,430). Statewide the median is $61,990 with 38,770 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 20,430 | $64,200 | $48,080 | $83,410 | 0.79 | 27% | 104.8 |
| Rochester, MN | 1,260 | $62,180 | $45,340 | $93,490 | 0.77 | 25% | 90.8 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 2,140 | $61,960 | $45,640 | $81,380 | 1.55 | 20% | 87.6 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 2,050 | $60,970 | $46,510 | $81,430 | 1.24 | 19% | 88.8 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 2,540 | $60,820 | $44,730 | $74,630 | 1.07 | 20% | 90.6 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 2,100 | $60,300 | $47,000 | $81,470 | 1.88 | 20% | 91.8 |
| Mankato, MN | 740 | $60,070 | $45,640 | $93,650 | 0.99 | 21% | 91.0 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 1,100 | $59,360 | $47,440 | $89,870 | 1.59 | 20% | 86.7 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 3,570 | $58,900 | $40,870 | $78,350 | 1.81 | 20% | 90.9 |
National page: Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers →Cities of Minnesota
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area, with a median of $64,200 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area, with 20,430 jobs.