Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for cdl drivers in the United States
Cdl driver job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected cdl driver job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 90,900 new jobs for cdl drivers are projected over the next decade.
Cdl driver salaries have increased 14% for cdl drivers in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,356,501 cdl drivers currently employed in the United States.
There are 784,044 active cdl driver job openings in the US.
The average cdl driver salary is $63,112.
Are cdl driver jobs in demand?
Cdl driver job and salary trends over time
Cdl driver jobs over time
Cdl driver job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,356,501 | 0.40% |
| 2020 | 1,257,261 | 0.37% |
| 2019 | 1,306,258 | 0.39% |
| 2018 | 1,253,735 | 0.38% |
| 2017 | 1,236,777 | 0.38% |
Average cdl driver salary over time
Cdl driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $63,112 | $30.34 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $60,608 | $29.14 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $58,492 | $28.12 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $56,885 | $27.35 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $55,358 | $26.61 | +2.7% |
Cdl driver jobs by state
Most common states for cdl drivers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 5,697 | 754% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 5,485 | 631% |
| 3 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 13,392 | 460% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 8,132 | 424% |
| 5 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 11,685 | 389% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 11,508 | 366% |
| 7 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 19,465 | 318% |
| 8 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 15,051 | 309% |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 12,115 | 308% |
| 10 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 12,522 | 281% |
| 11 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 4,758 | 262% |
| 12 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 13,060 | 260% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 14,471 | 259% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 4,215 | 245% |
| 15 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 25,496 | 244% |
| 16 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 4,892 | 234% |
| 17 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 15,106 | 225% |
| 18 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 10,509 | 224% |
| 19 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 14,591 | 219% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 12,554 | 217% |
Most common cities for cdl drivers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines | 247 | 115% | $63,644 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 213 | 100% | $62,496 |
| 3 | Fort Wayne | 245 | 93% | $64,227 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 260 | 87% | $63,102 |
| 5 | Saint Louis | 262 | 84% | $65,894 |
| 6 | Atlanta | 379 | 80% | $64,579 |
| 7 | Cleveland | 220 | 57% | $62,241 |
| 8 | Indianapolis | 480 | 56% | $64,644 |
| 9 | Kansas City | 267 | 55% | $66,263 |
| 10 | Denver | 248 | 36% | $63,878 |
| 11 | Columbus | 300 | 35% | $62,790 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City | 206 | 32% | $67,825 |
| 13 | Charlotte | 237 | 28% | $63,511 |
| 14 | Dallas | 347 | 26% | $62,904 |
| 15 | Phoenix | 259 | 16% | $64,108 |
| 16 | Chicago | 381 | 14% | $66,452 |
| 17 | Houston | 292 | 13% | $62,025 |
| 18 | Philadelphia | 208 | 13% | $62,699 |
CDL Driver job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of cdl driver experts
CVTA
NAPFTDS
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the CDL Driver job market given the pandemic?
Don Lefeve: The market for commercial drivers should remain strong for the foreseeable future due to older driver retirements, tight capacity, and the increase of home delivery of goods resulting from COVID. COVID has resulted in fewer commercial drivers being produced in 2020, compared to 2019. It is important to note that Class A Commercial Driver's License is as much of a requirement to drive large commercial trucks as it is an excellent safety credential for those who may not drive commercial trucks.
The biggest trend currently is tight capacity. What this means is there are too few drivers willing to move goods at the requested price. This means shippers need to pay more to move goods, which in turn, results in trucking companies charging more and driver pay rises. Pay has been rising, and commercial driving is a solid foundation for a career in trucking.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for CDL Drivers in the next 3-5 years?
Don Lefeve: Technology is changing very fast, which is great news for trucking (and all transportation) as it's making vehicles safer. The next 3-5 years will see the expansion of electric vehicles, better safety systems, and greater efficiency in transportation networks. While autonomous technology is advancing rapidly, it will not replace humans anytime soon. Certainly not in the next 3-5 years. There's a lot of testing, security concerns, and limitations that need to be worked out. Beyond the next five years, as technology continues advancing, and jobs will change and be enhanced, but driving jobs will not be replaced by machines. Like airline pilots, the technology relies upon humans, and the human will retain a central role in the control of the truck because we possess the fastest, most capable computers of all -- our brains. I think driver training will always be required, and in fact, it will likely expand to cover not only the fundamentals but also incorporate more technical training centered around autonomous systems and how to operate them.
How do you envision technology impacting CDL Drivers in the next 5 years?
Martin Garsee: Technology has changed every aspect of the industry in the last few years. Many of the systems that are on trucks make them much safer.
Collision mitigation systems, Blind spot alerts, cameras inside and outside the cab, lane departure warnings, these are currently offered on the truck of today. We see these systems getting better, which makes the driver a safer driver.