Salary comparison
Light Truck Drivers: Lewiston vs Santa Cruz
Lewiston, ME pays about 4.4% more for light truck drivers on paper — $50,870 vs $48,740. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Lewiston comes out ahead by $2,130 a year in real buying power.
Lewiston, ME
$50,870
$38,130
$63,600
$24.46
100
$50,870/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$48,740
$41,690
$52,670
$23.43
100
$48,740/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $2,130 a year (4.4%) in favor of Lewiston. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Lewiston runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Lewiston is the better deal by $2,130 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Lewiston for this role, the raise needs to beat 4.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do light truck drivers earn more, Lewiston or Santa Cruz?
Lewiston pays $50,870 on median — about 4.4% more than Santa Cruz ($48,740). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Lewiston. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Lewiston gives you roughly$50,870 of real buying power versus $48,740 in the other city.