National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Doctors earn a national median of $236,000/year vs Truck Drivers at $54,320/year. Doctors earn 77% more nationally. The gap is $181,680 per year — or $15,140 per month.
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Doctor
$236,000
national median/year
$19,667/mo • $113/hr
VS
Truck Driver
$54,320
national median/year
$4,527/mo • $26/hr
Annual salary gap
$181,680
Doctors earn 77% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $2,059,396.
Best states for Truck Drivers
vs Doctors
Arkansas+$-160,000
West Virginia+$-162,000
Mississippi+$-164,000
North Dakota+$-164,000
Iowa+$-166,000
Best states for Doctors
vs Truck Drivers
Massachusetts+$198,000
Maryland+$192,000
Minnesota+$192,000
New Jersey+$192,000
New York+$192,000
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Doctors earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Doctors is $236,000 versus $54,320 for Truck Drivers — a difference of $181,680 per year or $15,140 per month.
The national median salary gap between Doctors and Truck Drivers is $181,680 per year. Doctors earn 77% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $2,059,396.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Massachusetts pays Doctors the highest median salary at $258,320 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 — Doctors earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Physicians and Surgeons 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, Doctors earn approximately $113 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.
