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Job outlook for delivery drivers in the United States
Delivery driver job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected delivery driver job growth rate is 11% from 2018-2028.
About 174,200 new jobs for delivery drivers are projected over the next decade.
Delivery driver salaries have increased 21% for delivery drivers in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,419,427 delivery drivers currently employed in the United States.
There are 1,002,317 active delivery driver job openings in the US.
The average delivery driver salary is $38,785.
Are delivery driver jobs in demand?
Delivery driver job and salary trends over time
Delivery driver jobs over time
Delivery driver job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,419,427 | 0.42% |
| 2020 | 1,290,029 | 0.38% |
| 2019 | 1,305,155 | 0.39% |
| 2018 | 1,270,757 | 0.38% |
| 2017 | 1,244,623 | 0.38% |
Average delivery driver salary over time
Delivery driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,785 | $18.65 | +6.7% |
| 2024 | $36,357 | $17.48 | +5.9% |
| 2023 | $34,347 | $16.51 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $32,923 | $15.83 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $32,012 | $15.39 | +2.4% |
Delivery driver jobs by state
Most common states for delivery drivers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 4,026 | 222% |
| 2 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 12,210 | 183% |
| 3 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 6,972 | 157% |
| 4 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 18,230 | 156% |
| 5 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 19,795 | 155% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 1,492 | 155% |
| 7 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 4,194 | 144% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 4,447 | 141% |
| 9 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 7,048 | 140% |
| 10 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 3,945 | 132% |
| 11 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 6,306 | 129% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 6,888 | 124% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 720 | 124% |
| 14 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 2,569 | 123% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 10,363 | 122% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 15,457 | 121% |
| 17 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 7,262 | 119% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 6,909 | 119% |
| 19 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 12,221 | 117% |
| 20 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 7,036 | 116% |
Most common cities for delivery drivers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond | 75 | 34% | $42,483 |
| 2 | Tampa | 79 | 21% | $34,218 |
| 3 | Minneapolis | 83 | 20% | $44,775 |
| 4 | Omaha | 79 | 18% | $38,236 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 78 | 17% | $35,529 |
| 6 | Boston | 89 | 13% | $46,026 |
| 7 | Denver | 88 | 13% | $38,633 |
| 8 | Las Vegas | 84 | 13% | $39,374 |
| 9 | Portland | 80 | 13% | $39,181 |
| 10 | Austin | 109 | 11% | $36,692 |
| 11 | Seattle | 79 | 11% | $41,837 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 88 | 10% | $37,929 |
| 13 | Columbus | 82 | 10% | $38,101 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 134 | 8% | $38,074 |
| 15 | Dallas | 89 | 7% | $35,646 |
| 16 | Chicago | 80 | 3% | $44,512 |
| 17 | Houston | 76 | 3% | $36,588 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 75 | 2% | $42,131 |
| 19 | New York | 98 | 1% | $42,685 |
Delivery Driver job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of delivery driver experts
CVTA
NAPFTDS
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Delivery 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.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Delivery Drivers to find work opportunities?
Martin Garsee: Many over the road trucking companies will hire you from any location in the 48 contiguous states. Companies that have more set routes in a region of the country, will only hire in that region. Most companies, on their website, have a hiring area located. Where there is a dense population, there are more jobs available. Where there is a port, there are jobs that have to get the goods from the port to a warehouse for distribution, which may be local or hundreds of miles away. Where there is a concentration of manufacturing, raw material has to be brought in and completed products have to be shipped to their final destination.
In large cities there are a lot of delivery jobs to retail outlets.