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Driver/owner operator salary
Average driver/owner operator salary
$169,793
Average Driver/Owner Operator Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Driver/Owner Operator in the U.S. stands at $169,793 per year, equating to about $82 per hour. Salaries can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry. For instance, those with higher experience levels typically command increased pay, reflecting their skills and reliability in the field.
Regional Variations
Where you work also significantly affects your earnings. States like Texas and California often offer higher salaries due to the demand for transportation services. Additionally, certain cities, like Los Angeles and Chicago, are known for their lucrative opportunities for Driver/Owner Operators, presenting prospects for substantial income growth. Understanding these regional dynamics can guide your job search effectively.
Experience Level Impact
Experience matters in this profession. Entry-level operators may earn around $50,000 annually, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $200,000. This progression highlights the potential for increased income as skills and reliability develop.
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Where can a Driver/Owner Operator earn more?
Driver/owner operator salaries by experience level
Average driver/owner operator salary by state
The average driver/owner operator salary in Texas, Georgia, and Arkansas are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average driver/owner operator salary states are North Dakota, Maine, and Vermont.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for driver/owner operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $139,341 | $66.99 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $135,256 | $65.03 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $138,039 | $66.36 |
| 4 | Kentucky | $131,972 | $63.45 |
| 5 | Alabama | $133,284 | $64.08 |
| 6 | Georgia | $139,981 | $67.30 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $138,602 | $66.64 |
| 8 | Texas | $140,087 | $67.35 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $133,420 | $64.14 |
| 10 | Kansas | $130,152 | $62.57 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $135,296 | $65.05 |
| 12 | Missouri | $131,326 | $63.14 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $132,721 | $63.81 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $127,128 | $61.12 |
| 15 | Ohio | $127,901 | $61.49 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $133,009 | $63.95 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $129,611 | $62.31 |
| 18 | Indiana | $123,490 | $59.37 |
| 19 | Delaware | $130,997 | $62.98 |
| 20 | Virginia | $129,374 | $62.20 |
| 21 | Arizona | $130,930 | $62.95 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $115,316 | $55.44 |
| 23 | Illinois | $119,732 | $57.56 |
| 24 | Michigan | $114,871 | $55.23 |
| 25 | Florida | $128,269 | $61.67 |
| 26 | Nevada | $126,446 | $60.79 |
| 27 | Maryland | $128,106 | $61.59 |
| 28 | Colorado | $122,551 | $58.92 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $115,143 | $55.36 |
| 30 | Utah | $118,609 | $57.02 |
| 31 | Iowa | $113,321 | $54.48 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $126,189 | $60.67 |
| 33 | California | $126,197 | $60.67 |
| 34 | New York | $123,116 | $59.19 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $104,801 | $50.39 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $122,084 | $58.69 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $110,060 | $52.91 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $98,958 | $47.58 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $123,589 | $59.42 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $111,335 | $53.53 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $105,423 | $50.68 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | $113,576 | $54.60 |
| 43 | Washington | $101,782 | $48.93 |
| 44 | Oregon | $103,842 | $49.92 |
| 45 | Montana | $102,372 | $49.22 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $102,204 | $49.14 |
| 47 | Idaho | $87,452 | $42.04 |
| 48 | Maine | $97,410 | $46.83 |
| 49 | Vermont | $96,339 | $46.32 |
| 50 | Alaska | $85,125 | $40.93 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $76,877 | $36.96 |
Highest paying cities for driver/owner operators
The highest-paying cities for driver/owner operators are Savannah, GA, Chattanooga, TN, and Little Rock, AR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savannah, GA | $182,373 | $87.68 |
| 2 | Chattanooga, TN | $181,597 | $87.31 |
| 3 | Little Rock, AR | $180,518 | $86.79 |
| 4 | Dallas, TX | $176,755 | $84.98 |
| 5 | New Orleans, LA | $171,507 | $82.46 |
| 6 | Bowling Green, KY | $170,079 | $81.77 |
| 7 | Saint Louis, MO | $169,665 | $81.57 |
| 8 | Wichita, KS | $168,074 | $80.80 |
| 9 | Columbus, MS | $167,976 | $80.76 |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH | $166,891 | $80.24 |
| 11 | Charlotte, NC | $166,817 | $80.20 |
| 12 | Charleston, SC | $165,886 | $79.75 |
| 13 | Oklahoma City, OK | $165,469 | $79.55 |
| 14 | Birmingham, AL | $164,467 | $79.07 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $162,355 | $78.06 |
| 16 | Newark, DE | $161,849 | $77.81 |
| 17 | Jacksonville, FL | $160,647 | $77.23 |
| 18 | Charleston, WV | $158,086 | $76.00 |
| 19 | Columbia, MD | $155,836 | $74.92 |
| 20 | Columbus, IN | $155,285 | $74.66 |
Driver/Owner Operators are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Driver/owner operator salary details
A driver/owner operator's salary ranges from $69,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $417,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a driver/owner operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $417,000 | $34,750 | $200 |
| 75th Percentile | $272,000 | $22,667 | $131 |
| Average | $169,793 | $14,149 | $82 |
| 25th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
| 10th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
Highest paying driver/owner operator jobs
The highest paying types of driver/owner operators are operator and truck driver, owner/operator, and truck driver-over-the-road.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tractor-Trailer Driver | $58,498 | $4,875 | $28.12 | 690,787 |
| Transportation Driver | $43,236 | $3,603 | $20.79 | 1,006,562 |
| Over The Road Driver | $62,119 | $5,177 | $29.86 | 711,143 |
| CDL Class A Driver | $52,203 | $4,350 | $25.10 | 696,903 |
| Commercial Driver | $46,852 | $3,904 | $22.53 | 1,016,123 |
| Dump Truck Driver | $55,857 | $4,655 | $26.85 | 702,361 |
Top companies hiring driver/owner operators now:
Which companies pay driver/owner operators the most?
Driver/owner operator salaries at Clean Harbors and PTG Logistics are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average driver/owner operator salary at companies like Americo and Linden Public Schools are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clean Harbors | $274,147 | $131.80 |
| 2 | PTG Logistics | $252,915 | $121.59 |
| 3 | Americo | $250,533 | $120.45 |
| 4 | Linden Public Schools | $234,503 | $112.74 |
| 5 | American Linehaul | $232,828 | $111.94 |
| 6 | Carrier | $226,573 | $108.93 |
| 7 | CTS Corporation | $223,319 | $107.36 |
| 8 | RAND | $222,239 | $106.85 |
| 9 | M.I.T. International, Inc. | $216,563 | $104.12 |
| 10 | Pilot Freight Services | $209,152 | $100.55 |
| 11 | Roadrunner Transportation Systems | $201,910 | $97.07 |
| 12 | Hub Group | $201,296 | $96.78 |
| 13 | CBSL Transportation Services | $201,087 | $96.68 |
| 14 | Pace Logistics | $199,561 | $95.94 |
| 15 | Republic Services | $197,313 | $94.86 |
| 16 | PeaceHealth | $196,141 | $94.30 |
| 17 | U.S. Transport, Inc. | $194,837 | $93.67 |
| 18 | Precision Strip | $194,249 | $93.39 |
| 19 | Johnsrud Transport | $194,120 | $93.33 |
| 20 | Highway Transport Logistics | $193,986 | $93.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Driver/Owner Operator salary by industry
The average driver/owner operator salary varies across industries:
- The average driver/owner operator salary in the energy industry is $155,268, the highest of any industry.
- The average driver/owner operator salary in the finance industry is $147,234.
- Driver/owner operators in the construction industry earn an average salary of $125,828, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for driver/owner operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $155,268 | $74.65 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $147,234 | $70.79 |
| 3 | Professional | $146,555 | $70.46 |
| 4 | Transportation | $141,781 | $68.16 |
| 5 | Construction | $125,828 | $60.49 |
High paying driver/owner operator jobs
Driver/owner operator salary trends
The average driver/owner operator salary has risen by $33,145 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average driver/owner operator earned $136,648 annually, but today, they earn $169,793 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for driver/owner operators over the last decade.
Compare driver/owner operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average driver/owner operator salary over time
Compare driver/owner operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Driver/owner operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $170,000 | $81.63 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $163,000 | $78.39 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $157,000 | $75.66 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $153,000 | $73.58 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $149,000 | $71.60 | +2.6% |
Recently added driver/owner operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Logistics Holdings | Owner/Operator Drivers | Minneapolis, MN | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
| Universal Logistics Holdings | Owner Operator Driver | Harvey, IL | 06/29/2025 | $200,000 |
| Universal Logistics Holdings | CDL A Owner Operators | Kansas City, MO | 06/29/2025 | $182,613 |
| Universal Logistics Holdings | CDL A Owner Operator | Philadelphia, PA | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
| Bainbridge Brokerage | Cdl-A Owner Operator-EXP Required-Local-Dry Van-Bainbridge Brokerage | Winston-Salem, NC | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
| Smith Transportation | Cdl-A Owner Operator-EXP Required-OTR-Reefer-Smith Transportation | El Paso, TX | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
| Bainbridge Brokerage | Truck Driver Owner Operator-EXP Required-Local-Bainbridge Brokerage | Baltimore, MD | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
| Bainbridge Brokerage | Class A CDL Owner Operator-EXP Required-Local-Dry Van-Bainbridge Brokerage | Tulsa, OK | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
| Bainbridge Brokerage | Cdl-A Owner Operator-EXP Required-Local-Dry Van-Bainbridge Brokerage | Syracuse, NY | 06/29/2025 | $182,613 |
| Bainbridge Brokerage | Cdl-A Owner Operator-EXP Required-Local-Dry Van-Bainbridge Brokerage | Roanoke, VA | 06/29/2025 | $156,525 |
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