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Best states for an operator and truck driver
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Are you thinking of becoming an operator and truck driver and really want to work at Schneider? Turns out, your chances to become an operator and truck driver are better in some states than others.As operators and truck driver are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for operators and truck driver. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an operator and truck driver, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for operators and truck driver. North Dakota is the best state for operators and truck driver, where the median salary is $214,285.We found that North Dakota is the best state for operator and truck driver jobs, whereas Hawaii is the worst.
10 best states for operators and truck driver in 2025
1. North Dakota
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 1,389 Average annual salary: $214,285 Lowest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $288,000 Location Quotient: 1.582. South Dakota
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 1,427 Average annual salary: $198,997 Lowest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $280,000 Location Quotient: 1.413. Kansas
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 5,454 Average annual salary: $192,145 Lowest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $276,000 Location Quotient: 1.914. Wisconsin
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 5,219 Average annual salary: $197,274 Lowest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $280,000 Location Quotient: 15. Wyoming
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 531 Average annual salary: $197,698 Lowest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $279,000 Location Quotient: 0.946. Oklahoma
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 5,014 Average annual salary: $190,671 Lowest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $276,000 Location Quotient: 1.727. Nebraska
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 2,620 Average annual salary: $194,057 Lowest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $277,000 Location Quotient: 1.248. Iowa
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 4,836 Average annual salary: $192,157 Lowest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $276,000 Location Quotient: 1.419. Alaska
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 151 Average annual salary: $226,037 Lowest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $290,000 Location Quotient: 0.1910. Washington
Total operator and truck driver jobs: 5,924 Average annual salary: $210,018 Lowest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $285,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
Operator and truck driver jobsNear Ashburn, VA
How Zippia determines the best states to be an operator and truck driver
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an operator and truck driver
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $214,285 | $158,000 | 755,393 | 1,389 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $198,997 | $141,000 | 869,666 | 1,427 |
| 3 | Kansas | $192,145 | $133,000 | 2,913,123 | 5,454 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $197,274 | $138,000 | 5,795,483 | 5,219 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $197,698 | $139,000 | 579,315 | 531 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $190,671 | $131,000 | 3,930,864 | 5,014 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $194,057 | $135,000 | 1,920,076 | 2,620 |
| 8 | Iowa | $192,157 | $133,000 | 3,145,711 | 4,836 |
| 9 | Alaska | $226,037 | $175,000 | 739,795 | 151 |
| 10 | Washington | $210,018 | $154,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,924 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $187,540 | $128,000 | 4,454,189 | 6,776 |
| 12 | Ohio | $188,307 | $129,000 | 11,658,609 | 14,748 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $201,918 | $144,000 | 5,576,606 | 4,696 |
| 14 | Nevada | $200,951 | $143,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,074 |
| 15 | Oregon | $208,362 | $152,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,282 |
| 16 | Missouri | $189,152 | $130,000 | 6,113,532 | 8,477 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $184,617 | $124,000 | 2,984,100 | 3,334 |
| 18 | Arizona | $193,612 | $135,000 | 7,016,270 | 3,280 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $185,196 | $125,000 | 6,715,984 | 6,285 |
| 20 | Colorado | $193,361 | $135,000 | 5,607,154 | 5,245 |
| 21 | Michigan | $187,376 | $128,000 | 9,962,311 | 6,870 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $180,027 | $120,000 | 3,004,279 | 4,655 |
| 23 | Montana | $191,541 | $134,000 | 1,050,493 | 546 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $193,780 | $134,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,792 |
| 25 | California | $194,841 | $137,000 | 39,536,653 | 17,158 |
| 26 | Utah | $184,411 | $126,000 | 3,101,833 | 2,962 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $188,901 | $129,000 | 1,342,795 | 563 |
| 28 | Vermont | $186,889 | $127,000 | 623,657 | 414 |
| 29 | Illinois | $180,521 | $121,000 | 12,802,023 | 17,134 |
| 30 | Indiana | $173,677 | $114,000 | 6,666,818 | 9,240 |
| 31 | Delaware | $183,711 | $124,000 | 961,939 | 1,265 |
| 32 | Georgia | $174,182 | $114,000 | 10,429,379 | 14,857 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $173,445 | $113,000 | 5,024,369 | 5,618 |
| 34 | New York | $185,868 | $126,000 | 19,849,399 | 8,030 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $186,629 | $127,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,468 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $172,485 | $113,000 | 12,805,537 | 12,502 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $168,502 | $108,000 | 4,684,333 | 4,889 |
| 38 | Alabama | $163,479 | $104,000 | 4,874,747 | 6,417 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $180,578 | $121,000 | 1,059,639 | 636 |
| 40 | New Jersey | $186,900 | $127,000 | 9,005,644 | 3,374 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $172,918 | $114,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,979 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $150,663 | $93,000 | 1,815,857 | 4,311 |
| 43 | Virginia | $175,060 | $115,000 | 8,470,020 | 10,636 |
| 44 | Texas | $163,172 | $104,000 | 28,304,596 | 24,688 |
| 45 | Maryland | $179,466 | $119,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,208 |
| 46 | Idaho | $170,961 | $113,000 | 1,716,943 | 1,387 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $182,302 | $122,000 | 693,972 | 260 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $158,306 | $99,000 | 10,273,419 | 7,230 |
| 49 | Maine | $158,695 | $100,000 | 1,335,907 | 613 |
| 50 | Florida | $149,288 | $90,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,774 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $149,320 | $88,000 | 1,427,538 | 126 |
Highest paying states for operators and truck driver
| Rank | State | Avg. Operator And Truck Driver Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $214,285 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $198,997 |
| 3 | Kansas | $192,145 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $197,274 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $197,698 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $190,671 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $194,057 |
| 8 | Iowa | $192,157 |
| 9 | Alaska | $226,037 |
| 10 | Washington | $210,018 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $187,540 |
| 12 | Ohio | $188,307 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $201,918 |
| 14 | Nevada | $200,951 |
| 15 | Oregon | $208,362 |
| 16 | Missouri | $189,152 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $184,617 |
| 18 | Arizona | $193,612 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $185,196 |
| 20 | Colorado | $193,361 |
| 21 | Michigan | $187,376 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $180,027 |
| 23 | Montana | $191,541 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $193,780 |
| 25 | California | $194,841 |
| 26 | Utah | $184,411 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $188,901 |
| 28 | Vermont | $186,889 |
| 29 | Illinois | $180,521 |
| 30 | Indiana | $173,677 |
| 31 | Delaware | $183,711 |
| 32 | Georgia | $174,182 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $173,445 |
| 34 | New York | $185,868 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $186,629 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $172,485 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $168,502 |
| 38 | Alabama | $163,479 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $180,578 |
| 40 | New Jersey | $186,900 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $172,918 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $150,663 |
| 43 | Virginia | $175,060 |
| 44 | Texas | $163,172 |
| 45 | Maryland | $179,466 |
| 46 | Idaho | $170,961 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $182,302 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $158,306 |
| 49 | Maine | $158,695 |
| 50 | Florida | $149,288 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $149,320 |
Operator and truck driver best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025