Professional truck driver demographics and statistics in the US
Professional truck driver demographics research summary. Zippia estimates professional truck driver demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our professional truck driver estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about professional truck drivers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 689,930 professional truck drivers currently employed in the United States.
- 15.7% of all professional truck drivers are women, while 84.3% are men.
- The average professional truck driver age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of professional truck drivers is White (58.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.9%), Black or African American (14.4%) and Unknown (4.7%).
- In 2022, women earned 90% of what men earned.
- 4% of all professional truck drivers are LGBT.
- Professional truck drivers are 79% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Professional truck driver demographics by:
Professional truck driver gender statistics
15.7% of professional truck drivers are women and 84.3% of professional truck drivers are men.
- Male, 84.3%
- Female, 15.7%
Professional truck driver gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 84.3% |
| Female | 15.7% |
Professional truck driver gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$47,307
Female income
$42,348
Professional truck driver gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in professional truck driver positions over time. Currently, 15.7% of professional truck drivers are female.
Professional truck driver gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 88.21% | 11.79% |
| 2011 | 87.87% | 12.13% |
| 2012 | 86.88% | 13.12% |
| 2013 | 86.41% | 13.59% |
| 2014 | 85.95% | 14.05% |
| 2015 | 86.11% | 13.89% |
| 2016 | 85.70% | 14.30% |
| 2017 | 85.44% | 14.56% |
| 2018 | 83.89% | 16.11% |
| 2019 | 84.16% | 15.84% |
| 2020 | 84.43% | 15.57% |
| 2021 | 84.31% | 15.69% |
Professional truck driver related jobs gender ratio
We compared professional truck drivers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, diesel truck driver and tank wagon driver have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Bus Matron | 11% | 89% |
| Bus Escort | 18% | 82% |
| Bus Monitor | 19% | 81% |
| Professional Truck Driver | 84% | 16% |
| Wrecker Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Tank Wagon Driver | 99% | 1% |
| Diesel Truck Driver | 100% | 0% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Professional truck driver demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among professional truck drivers is White, which makes up 58.5% of all professional truck drivers. Comparatively, 17.9% of professional truck drivers are Hispanic or Latino and 14.4% of professional truck drivers are Black or African American.
- White, 58.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.9%
- Black or African American, 14.4%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- Asian, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Professional truck driver race
| Professional truck driver race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.9% |
| Black or African American | 14.4% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| Asian | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Professional truck driver race and ethnicity over time
See how professional truck driver racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Professional truck driver race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.53% | 13.11% | 2.57% | 14.17% |
| 2011 | 67.16% | 13.49% | 2.59% | 14.06% |
| 2012 | 66.45% | 13.64% | 2.74% | 14.40% |
| 2013 | 66.53% | 13.17% | 2.65% | 14.92% |
| 2014 | 66.26% | 13.62% | 2.84% | 14.57% |
| 2015 | 65.34% | 13.95% | 2.88% | 15.03% |
| 2016 | 64.56% | 13.59% | 2.97% | 15.90% |
| 2017 | 64.35% | 13.71% | 3.00% | 16.07% |
| 2018 | 63.85% | 13.76% | 3.29% | 16.08% |
| 2019 | 64.24% | 13.73% | 3.12% | 15.98% |
| 2020 | 61.46% | 13.71% | 3.35% | 16.27% |
| 2021 | 58.51% | 14.40% | 3.70% | 17.88% |
Professional truck driver wage gap by race
According to our data, white professional truck drivers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian professional truck drivers have the lowest average salary at $46,933.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $47,406 |
| White | $47,799 |
| Black or African American | $47,092 |
| Asian | $46,933 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $47,309 |
Average professional truck driver age
See how the average age of professional truck drivers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Professional truck driver age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 49 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 39.5 |
| Asian | 46 | 43 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 45 | 43 |
| White | 51 | 48 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 49.5 | 47 |
Professional truck driver age breakdown
The average age of professional truck drivers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the professional truck driver population.
Professional truck driver age breakdown
| Professional Truck Driver Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 19% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Professional truck driver educational attainment
The most common degree for professional truck drivers is high school diploma, with 32% of professional truck drivers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 20%.
- High School Diploma, 32%
- Associate, 21%
- Bachelor's, 20%
- Diploma, 12%
- Other Degrees, 15%
Professional truck drivers by degree level
| Professional truck driver degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 32% |
| Associate | 21% |
| Bachelor's | 20% |
| Diploma | 12% |
| Other Degrees | 15% |
Professional truck driver jobs you might like
Professional truck driver wage gap by degree level
According to the data, professional truck drivers with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $49,765 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, professional truck drivers earn a median annual income of $49,232 compared to $48,810 for professional truck drivers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $44,687 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,810 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,232 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,765 |
Professional truck driver employment statistics
Most professional truck drivers work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where professional truck drivers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where professional truck drivers work.
Professional truck driver jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 14% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 24% |
| > 10,000 employees | 16% |
Professional truck driver jobs by company type
Employees with the professional truck driver job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most professional truck drivers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Professional truck driver jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 79% |
| Government | 1% |
Professional truck driver jobs by industry
The most common industries for professional truck drivers are transportation, manufacturing and retail.
Professional truck driver industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 48% |
| Manufacturing | 8% |
| Construction | 6% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Professional truck driver turnover and employment statistics
Professional truck driver unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for professional truck drivers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Professional truck driver unemployment rate by year
| Year | Professional truck driver unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.33% |
| 2011 | 8.73% |
| 2012 | 7.76% |
| 2013 | 6.88% |
| 2014 | 5.54% |
| 2015 | 4.98% |
| 2016 | 4.17% |
| 2017 | 4.08% |
| 2018 | 3.68% |
| 2019 | 3.45% |
| 2020 | 5.26% |
| 2021 | 5.44% |
Average professional truck driver tenure
The average professional truck driver stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,431 professional truck drivers resumes in Zippia's database.
Professional truck driver tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 40% |
| 1-2 years | 27% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Professional truck driver LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of professional truck drivers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Gate Driver | 1.73% | 6,045 |
| Professional Truck Driver | 3.95% | - |
| Flag Car Driver | 6.17% | 123,836 |
| Charter Driver | 8.69% | 44,652 |
| Bus Driver Supervisor | 8.77% | 9,472 |
Similar professional truck driver jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Gate Driver | 1.73% | 6,045 |
| Flag Car Driver | 6.17% | 123,836 |
| Charter Driver | 8.69% | 44,652 |
| Bus Driver Supervisor | 8.77% | 9,472 |
Foreign languages spoken by professional truck drivers
The most common foreign language among professional truck drivers is Spanish at 75.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Carrier at 6.3% and Kurdish is the third-most popular at 3.1%.
- Spanish, 75.0%
- Carrier, 6.3%
- Kurdish, 3.1%
- Portuguese, 3.1%
- German, 3.1%
- Other, 9.4%
Professional truck driver languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 75.0% |
| Carrier | 6.3% |
| Kurdish | 3.1% |
| Portuguese | 3.1% |
| German | 3.1% |
| Other | 9.4% |
