National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Accountants earn a national median of $79,880/year vs Truck Drivers at $54,320/year. Accountants earn 32% more nationally. The gap is $25,560 per year — or $2,130 per month.
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Accountant
$79,880
national median/year
$6,657/mo • $38/hr
VS
Truck Driver
$54,320
national median/year
$4,527/mo • $26/hr
Annual salary gap
$25,560
Accountants earn 32% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $289,730.
Best states for Truck Drivers
vs Accountants
North Dakota+$-10,000
South Dakota+$-10,000
Iowa+$-12,000
West Virginia+$-12,000
Wyoming+$-12,000
Best states for Accountants
vs Truck Drivers
New York+$38,000
California+$36,000
Massachusetts+$32,000
Connecticut+$30,000
Virginia+$30,000
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Accountants earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Accountants is $79,880 versus $54,320 for Truck Drivers — a difference of $25,560 per year or $2,130 per month.
The national median salary gap between Accountants and Truck Drivers is $25,560 per year. Accountants earn 32% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $289,730.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Accountants the highest median salary at $98,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Alaska pays Truck Drivers the highest median salary at $62,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Accountants earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Accountants and Auditors and Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Accountants earn approximately $38 per hour nationally and Truck Drivers earn approximately $26 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
