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Driver salary
Average driver salary
$16.72
Understanding Driver Salaries
The average salary for a driver in the United States is $34,771 per year, or approximately $17 per hour. Variations in pay can arise due to several factors, including location, years of experience, and the specific industry sector. For instance, drivers in urban areas often command higher wages due to increased demand.
Salary by State
Driver salaries differ significantly by state. For example, states like Alaska and California tend to offer higher annual salaries compared to others. Researching regional salary averages can help you pinpoint the best locations for driver positions.
Experience Matters
Experience can also influence your earning potential. Entry-level drivers may start with lower salaries, while those with several years in the field can earn significantly more. For instance, a driver with over five years of experience may earn nearly 20% more than a newcomer.
Job Opportunities
Various roles within the driving sector, such as truck drivers, delivery drivers, and bus drivers, offer different salary potentials. Exploring these options can provide a clearer picture of what to expect in terms of compensation.
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Where can a Driver earn more?
Driver salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level driver | $31,700 | $15.24 |
| Mid-level driver | $43,200 | $20.79 |
| Senior-level driver | $42,900 | $20.62 |
Driver salary estimates from across the web
Average driver salary by state
The highest-paying states for drivers are Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The lowest average driver salary states are Ohio, South Carolina, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for drivers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $38,851 | $18.68 |
| 2 | Vermont | $42,781 | $20.57 |
| 3 | Oregon | $40,433 | $19.44 |
| 4 | Michigan | $37,482 | $18.02 |
| 5 | Indiana | $35,390 | $17.01 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $40,449 | $19.45 |
| 7 | Washington | $40,614 | $19.53 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $42,496 | $20.43 |
| 9 | New York | $41,316 | $19.86 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $40,527 | $19.48 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $34,946 | $16.80 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $41,516 | $19.96 |
| 13 | Alabama | $33,989 | $16.34 |
| 14 | Maine | $36,985 | $17.78 |
| 15 | Montana | $37,359 | $17.96 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $35,469 | $17.05 |
| 17 | Illinois | $35,352 | $17.00 |
| 18 | California | $40,250 | $19.35 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $32,017 | $15.39 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $32,727 | $15.73 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $31,046 | $14.93 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $33,976 | $16.33 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $31,646 | $15.21 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $31,828 | $15.30 |
| 25 | Kansas | $31,698 | $15.24 |
| 26 | Delaware | $35,034 | $16.84 |
| 27 | Alaska | $36,975 | $17.78 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $30,661 | $14.74 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $32,628 | $15.69 |
| 30 | Virginia | $35,190 | $16.92 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $30,849 | $14.83 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $34,889 | $16.77 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $31,005 | $14.91 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $38,569 | $18.54 |
| 35 | Nevada | $33,176 | $15.95 |
| 36 | Idaho | $31,587 | $15.19 |
| 37 | Texas | $32,311 | $15.53 |
| 38 | Georgia | $31,360 | $15.08 |
| 39 | Ohio | $30,110 | $14.48 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $30,113 | $14.48 |
| 41 | Colorado | $32,073 | $15.42 |
| 42 | Arizona | $32,627 | $15.69 |
| 43 | Missouri | $30,462 | $14.65 |
| 44 | Maryland | $33,556 | $16.13 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $35,994 | $17.30 |
| 46 | Utah | $30,543 | $14.68 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $27,858 | $13.39 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $27,966 | $13.45 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $27,676 | $13.31 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $27,805 | $13.37 |
| 51 | Florida | $27,301 | $13.13 |
Highest paying cities for drivers
The highest-paying cities for drivers are Boston, MA, New York, NY, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $42,446 | $20.41 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $41,242 | $19.83 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $40,732 | $19.58 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $40,677 | $19.56 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $40,471 | $19.46 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $38,580 | $18.55 |
| 7 | Des Moines, IA | $38,528 | $18.52 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | $37,644 | $18.10 |
| 9 | Portland, ME | $37,356 | $17.96 |
| 10 | Richmond, IN | $35,625 | $17.13 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $35,494 | $17.06 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $35,452 | $17.04 |
| 13 | Richmond, VA | $35,015 | $16.83 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $35,005 | $16.83 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $34,225 | $16.45 |
| 16 | Birmingham, AL | $34,155 | $16.42 |
| 17 | Baltimore, MD | $33,751 | $16.23 |
| 18 | Glendale, AZ | $32,675 | $15.71 |
| 19 | Fort Worth, TX | $32,466 | $15.61 |
| 20 | Aurora, CO | $32,095 | $15.43 |
Drivers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Driver salary details
A driver's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $53,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a driver's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| Average | $34,771 | $2,898 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying driver jobs
The highest paying types of drivers are company driver, truck driver class a, and cdl driver.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package Delivery Driver | $37,271 | $3,106 | $17.92 | 447,795 |
| Delivery Truck Driver | $55,563 | $4,630 | $26.71 | 837,326 |
| Truck Driver Class A | $63,270 | $5,272 | $30.42 | 709,900 |
| CDL Class A Driver | $52,203 | $4,350 | $25.10 | 696,903 |
| Local Truck Driver | $59,069 | $4,922 | $28.40 | 709,260 |
| Commercial Driver | $46,852 | $3,904 | $22.53 | 1,016,123 |
Top companies hiring drivers now:
Which companies pay drivers the most?
Driver salaries at Air Liquide and Vishay are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average driver salary at companies like The Boring Company and Argonne National Laboratory are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Liquide | $74,458 | $35.80 |
| 2 | Vishay | $66,636 | $32.04 |
| 3 | The Boring Company | $66,306 | $31.88 |
| 4 | Argonne National Laboratory | $65,398 | $31.44 |
| 5 | Mid-South Management | $65,154 | $31.32 |
| 6 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $64,973 | $31.24 |
| 7 | D.C. United | $61,894 | $29.76 |
| 8 | Conviva | $61,183 | $29.41 |
| 9 | Helmerich & Payne | $60,711 | $29.19 |
| 10 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $60,610 | $29.14 |
| 11 | West Tennessee Healthcare | $60,110 | $28.90 |
| 12 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $58,984 | $28.36 |
| 13 | BlackBerry | $57,866 | $27.82 |
| 14 | AbbVie | $57,848 | $27.81 |
| 15 | Sierra Pacific Industries | $57,353 | $27.57 |
| 16 | Univar | $55,420 | $26.64 |
| 17 | Midwest Motor Express | $55,215 | $26.55 |
| 18 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $54,828 | $26.36 |
| 19 | Dohrn Transfer | $54,630 | $26.26 |
| 20 | Goodwin | $54,539 | $26.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Driver salary by industry
The average driver salary varies across industries:
- The average driver salary in the manufacturing industry is $39,688, the highest of any industry.
- The average driver salary in the finance industry is $37,883.
- Drivers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $35,314, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for drivers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $39,688 | $19.08 |
| 2 | Transportation | $37,883 | $18.21 |
| 3 | Retail | $35,716 | $17.17 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $35,314 | $16.98 |
High paying driver jobs
Driver salary trends
The average driver salary has risen by $6,454 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average driver earned $28,317 annually, but today, they earn $34,771 a year. That works out to a 22% change in pay for drivers over the last decade.
Compare driver salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average driver salary over time
Compare driver salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $34,800 | $16.72 | +7.5% |
| 2024 | $32,200 | $15.46 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $30,700 | $14.77 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $29,900 | $14.37 | +5.0% |
| 2021 | $28,400 | $13.65 | +1.7% |
Recently added driver salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Harbors | Driver | Covington, KY | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| Clean Harbors | Driver | Hamilton, OH | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| Service Corporation International | Driver | Ione, CA | 06/30/2025 | $35,479 |
| Sutterhealth | Driver II | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $56,432 |
| Trinity Health | Hospital Driver | Ann Arbor, MI | 06/30/2025 | $31,305 |
| U-Haul | U-Box Portable Storage Driver (Cdl-A) | Williston, VT | 06/30/2025 | $43,201 |
| U-Haul | Transfer Driver | New York, NY | 06/30/2025 | $31,305 |
| U-Haul | Transfer Driver | Bloomington, MN | 06/30/2025 | $23,228 |
| U-Haul | Transfer Driver | Springfield, IL | 06/30/2025 | $31,305 |
| U-Haul | Transfer Driver | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $33,392 |
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