SOC 53-3033 · Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro

Light Truck Drivers Salary in Cape Girardeau, MO

The average salary for light truck drivers in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is $38,380 a year ($18.45 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,020: half of the 210 people in this job in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($48,770).

$38,380average per year

$18.45 / hourMedian $35,020Take-home ≈ $32,152

  • $29K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $54K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

210people in this job
-21%vs U.S. average
#8 of 8Missouri metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Light Truck Drivers pay range in Cape Girardeau

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $54,100 or more. The middle half of light truck drivers in Cape Girardeau earn between $28,710 and $46,600.

  • $29K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $54K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,380$3,198$18.45
Median$35,020$2,918$16.84
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,710$2,392$13.80
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,600$3,883$22.40

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Light Truck Drivers pay in Cape Girardeau vs. Missouri and the U.S.

Light truck drivers in Cape Girardeau earn 24% less than the Missouri average ($50,300) and 21% less than the U.S. average ($48,770). At the median the gap is -22% against the U.S. median of $44,860.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cape Girardeau$38,380$35,020$28,600$54,100210
Missouri$50,300$45,500$29,370$93,71016,210
United States$48,770$44,860$30,800$80,310983,300

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Light Truck Drivers salary after taxes in Cape Girardeau

On the average salary of $38,380, a single filer in Cape Girardeau takes home about $32,152 a year, or $2,679 a month and $1,237 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in MO$32,152$2,679
Working in IL$31,260$2,605

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Missouri paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Cape Girardeau a good place for light truck drivers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cape Girardeau area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $38,380 buys what about $44,587 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Cape Girardeau ($44,470). A typical home costs $232,332, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,380 is worth in another city

Light Truck Drivers salary in other Missouri cities

Cape Girardeau ranks 8th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; St. Joseph pays the most ($53,260).

All Light Truck Drivers salaries in Missouri

Highest-paying cities for light truck drivers

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($64,130).

Light Truck Drivers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Light Truck Drivers in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Light Truck Drivers salary in Cape Girardeau: questions

How much do light truck drivers make an hour in Cape Girardeau?

$18.45 an hour on average, and $16.84 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level light truck drivers salary in Cape Girardeau?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,710, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the light truck drivers take-home pay in Cape Girardeau?

About $32,152 a year ($2,679 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,380. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do light truck drivers earn more in Cape Girardeau than elsewhere?

The average here is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($48,770).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-3033; area Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (16020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.76, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.76).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.