Occupational Handbook: Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Working as a long-haul truck driver typically requires a high school diploma and attending a professional truck driving school. Pursuing work as a long-haul truck driver is a lifestyle choice because these drivers can be away from home for days or weeks at a time. Nationally, the median annual pay for this occupation was $57,440 in 2024. In Missouri, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are projected to have more than 5,000 openings annually with a median wage of $50,540.
Ozark Region Career Outlook
Career Grades are a tool to help make comparisons between occupations. Each occupation is assigned a letter grade from A+ to F based on its outlook over the next decade. The Ozark region is projected to have over 33,400 annual job openings through 2032. Some of the occupations in the region with an A or B career grade include customer service representatives, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, nursing assistants, general and operations managers, and accountants and auditors.
