Sergey Vakhrukov was born on June 20, 1958 in the city of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region. He graduated from the Rybinsk Aviation Technology Institute in 1980 and received a degree from the Russian State University of the Humanities in 1997.
In 1980 he worked as an electrical engineer at the Rybinsk Engine Manufacturing Facility.
From 1980 and 1982 served in the Soviet Army, and from 1982 and 1983 he served as deputy secretary and later secretary of the Komsomol Committee of the Rybinsk Aviation Technology Institute.
From 1983 to 1987 he served as the as the second secretary and then the first secretary of the Proletarsky District Komsomol Committee in the city of Rybinsk.
From 1987 to 1988 he served as the second secretary of the Komsomol Committee of the city of Andropov, and from 1988 to 1991 as the second and then the first secretary of the Yaroslavl Regional Komsomol Committee.
From 1991 to 1994 he served as the secretary of state of the Yaroslavl regional government.
From 1994 to 1996 he served as deputy governor of the Yaroslavl Region and secretary of state of the Yaroslavl regional government, and then first deputy governor of the Yaroslavl Region.
From 1996 to 2000 he served as the chairman of the State Duma for the Yaroslavl Region and a member of the Federation Council.
Between 2000 and 2007 served as the deputy plenipotentiary representative of the Russian president in the Urals Federal District.
Governor Vakhrukov was appointed governor of the Yaroslavl Region in December 2007.
He is married and has two sons.