Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a driver/owner operator
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a driver/owner operator at Forward, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for driver/owner operators that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for driver/owner operators. We found that Arkansas is the best state in the nation for driver/owner operators, and people in Texarkana earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for driver/owner operators.Arkansas is the best state, and Texarkana is the city with the highest pay for driver/owner operators.
10 best states for driver/owner operators in 2026
1. Arkansas
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 4,334 Average annual salary: $139,341 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $242,000 Location Quotient: 1.86
2. Mississippi
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 3,730 Average annual salary: $135,256 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $237,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
3. Louisiana
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 4,625 Average annual salary: $138,039 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $240,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
4. Kentucky
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 6,310 Average annual salary: $131,972 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $236,000 Location Quotient: 1.92
5. Alabama
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 6,041 Average annual salary: $133,284 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $236,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
6. Georgia
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 12,706 Average annual salary: $139,981 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $243,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
7. Tennessee
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 5,664 Average annual salary: $138,602 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $242,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
8. Texas
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 21,262 Average annual salary: $140,087 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $241,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
9. Oklahoma
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 4,803 Average annual salary: $133,420 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $236,000 Location Quotient: 1.75
10. Kansas
Total driver/owner operator jobs: 5,164 Average annual salary: $130,152 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $235,000 Location Quotient: 1.92
Driver/owner operator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a driver/owner operator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a driver/owner operator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $139,341 | $80,000 | 3,004,279 | 4,334 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $135,256 | $76,000 | 2,984,100 | 3,730 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $138,039 | $79,000 | 4,684,333 | 4,625 |
| 4 | Kentucky | $131,972 | $73,000 | 4,454,189 | 6,310 |
| 5 | Alabama | $133,284 | $75,000 | 4,874,747 | 6,041 |
| 6 | Georgia | $139,981 | $80,000 | 10,429,379 | 12,706 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $138,602 | $79,000 | 6,715,984 | 5,664 |
| 8 | Texas | $140,087 | $81,000 | 28,304,596 | 21,262 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $133,420 | $75,000 | 3,930,864 | 4,803 |
| 10 | Kansas | $130,152 | $72,000 | 2,913,123 | 5,164 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $135,296 | $77,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,885 |
| 12 | Missouri | $131,326 | $73,000 | 6,113,532 | 7,773 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $132,721 | $74,000 | 5,024,369 | 5,272 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $127,128 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 4,162 |
| 15 | Ohio | $127,901 | $70,000 | 11,658,609 | 14,031 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $133,009 | $74,000 | 10,273,419 | 6,591 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $129,611 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 11,541 |
| 18 | Indiana | $123,490 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 10,631 |
| 19 | Delaware | $130,997 | $73,000 | 961,939 | 1,182 |
| 20 | Virginia | $129,374 | $72,000 | 8,470,020 | 10,165 |
| 21 | Arizona | $130,930 | $73,000 | 7,016,270 | 3,142 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $115,316 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 895 |
| 23 | Illinois | $119,732 | $63,000 | 12,802,023 | 16,164 |
| 24 | Michigan | $114,871 | $60,000 | 9,962,311 | 10,085 |
| 25 | Florida | $128,269 | $71,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,003 |
| 26 | Nevada | $126,446 | $69,000 | 2,998,039 | 982 |
| 27 | Maryland | $128,106 | $70,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,021 |
| 28 | Colorado | $122,551 | $66,000 | 5,607,154 | 5,041 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $115,143 | $60,000 | 1,920,076 | 2,482 |
| 30 | Utah | $118,609 | $63,000 | 3,101,833 | 2,825 |
| 31 | Iowa | $113,321 | $58,000 | 3,145,711 | 4,315 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $126,189 | $69,000 | 9,005,644 | 3,035 |
| 33 | California | $126,197 | $70,000 | 39,536,653 | 15,067 |
| 34 | New York | $123,116 | $66,000 | 19,849,399 | 7,320 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $104,801 | $52,000 | 869,666 | 1,386 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $122,084 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,120 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $110,060 | $56,000 | 5,795,483 | 4,600 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $98,958 | $48,000 | 755,393 | 1,345 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $123,589 | $67,000 | 693,972 | 278 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $111,335 | $57,000 | 1,059,639 | 594 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $105,423 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 4,233 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | $113,576 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,788 |
| 43 | Washington | $101,782 | $50,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,724 |
| 44 | Oregon | $103,842 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,094 |
| 45 | Montana | $102,372 | $50,000 | 1,050,493 | 416 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $102,204 | $50,000 | 1,342,795 | 506 |
| 47 | Idaho | $87,452 | $41,000 | 1,716,943 | 1,256 |
| 48 | Maine | $97,410 | $46,000 | 1,335,907 | 526 |
| 49 | Vermont | $96,339 | $45,000 | 623,657 | 385 |
| 50 | Alaska | $85,125 | $40,000 | 739,795 | 157 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $76,877 | $40,000 | 1,427,538 | 124 |
Highest paying states for driver/owner operators
| Rank | State | Avg. Driver/Owner Operator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $139,341 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $135,256 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $138,039 |
| 4 | Kentucky | $131,972 |
| 5 | Alabama | $133,284 |
| 6 | Georgia | $139,981 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $138,602 |
| 8 | Texas | $140,087 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $133,420 |
| 10 | Kansas | $130,152 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $135,296 |
| 12 | Missouri | $131,326 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $132,721 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $127,128 |
| 15 | Ohio | $127,901 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $133,009 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $129,611 |
| 18 | Indiana | $123,490 |
| 19 | Delaware | $130,997 |
| 20 | Virginia | $129,374 |
| 21 | Arizona | $130,930 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $115,316 |
| 23 | Illinois | $119,732 |
| 24 | Michigan | $114,871 |
| 25 | Florida | $128,269 |
| 26 | Nevada | $126,446 |
| 27 | Maryland | $128,106 |
| 28 | Colorado | $122,551 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $115,143 |
| 30 | Utah | $118,609 |
| 31 | Iowa | $113,321 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $126,189 |
| 33 | California | $126,197 |
| 34 | New York | $123,116 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $104,801 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $122,084 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $110,060 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $98,958 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $123,589 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $111,335 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $105,423 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | $113,576 |
| 43 | Washington | $101,782 |
| 44 | Oregon | $103,842 |
| 45 | Montana | $102,372 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $102,204 |
| 47 | Idaho | $87,452 |
| 48 | Maine | $97,410 |
| 49 | Vermont | $96,339 |
| 50 | Alaska | $85,125 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $76,877 |
Driver/owner operator best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.
Search for driver/owner operator jobs
Updated January 8, 2025