As soon as you have some experience and a track record that pay goes up well. I know truckers who have made $100k+. If you build a good record you haul expensive loads, hazardous material, etc. If you suck, you drive gravel (You can’t hurt it. Pick it up with another truck and off it goes.) In the old days everyone got a starter job and “worked their way up”.
Don’t hear it much these days.
Just spent about 4 hours on I-70 over the last 3 days. Many trucks from various companies. had signs “looking for drivers” on the back doors.
Amazing how many people, even among freepers, just don’t want to pay their dues. They want a great living like their parents worked twenty years for, only they want it now.