Over the road driver demographics and statistics in the US
Over the road driver demographics research summary. Zippia estimates over the road driver demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our over the road driver estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about over the road drivers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 873,698 over the road drivers currently employed in the United States.
- 11.1% of all over the road drivers are women, while 88.9% are men.
- The average over the road driver age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of over the road drivers is White (60.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.8%), Black or African American (13.7%) and Unknown (4.8%).
- Over the road drivers are most in-demand in Nashville, TN.
- Camden, NJ pays an annual average wage of $72,168, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women over the road drivers earned 90% of what men earned.
- Georgia is the best state for over the road drivers to live.
- Over the road drivers are 86% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Over the road driver demographics by:
Over the road driver gender statistics
11.1% of over the road drivers are women and 88.9% of over the road drivers are men.
- Male, 88.9%
- Female, 11.1%
Over the road driver gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 88.9% |
| Female | 11.1% |
Over the road driver gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$60,518
Female income
$54,262
Over the road driver gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in over the road driver positions over time. Currently, 11.1% of over the road drivers are female.
Over the road driver gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 91.77% | 8.23% |
| 2011 | 91.53% | 8.47% |
| 2012 | 90.81% | 9.19% |
| 2013 | 90.46% | 9.54% |
| 2014 | 90.13% | 9.87% |
| 2015 | 90.25% | 9.75% |
| 2016 | 89.94% | 10.06% |
| 2017 | 89.75% | 10.25% |
| 2018 | 88.59% | 11.41% |
| 2019 | 88.80% | 11.20% |
| 2020 | 89.00% | 11.00% |
| 2021 | 88.91% | 11.09% |
Over the road driver related jobs gender ratio
We compared over the road drivers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, diesel truck driver and tank wagon driver have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Bus Matron | 11% | 89% |
| Bus Escort | 18% | 82% |
| Bus Monitor | 19% | 81% |
| Over The Road Driver | 89% | 11% |
| Wrecker Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Tank Wagon Driver | 99% | 1% |
| Diesel Truck Driver | 100% | 0% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Over the road driver demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among over the road drivers is White, which makes up 60.1% of all over the road drivers. Comparatively, 16.8% of over the road drivers are Hispanic or Latino and 13.7% of over the road drivers are Black or African American.
- White, 60.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.8%
- Black or African American, 13.7%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Asian, 3.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Over the road driver race
| Over the road driver race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.8% |
| Black or African American | 13.7% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Asian | 3.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Over the road driver race and ethnicity over time
See how over the road driver racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Over the road driver race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.07% | 12.37% | 2.77% | 13.04% |
| 2011 | 68.70% | 12.75% | 2.79% | 12.93% |
| 2012 | 67.99% | 12.90% | 2.93% | 13.27% |
| 2013 | 68.07% | 12.43% | 2.85% | 13.79% |
| 2014 | 67.80% | 12.88% | 3.03% | 13.44% |
| 2015 | 66.89% | 13.21% | 3.07% | 13.91% |
| 2016 | 66.10% | 12.85% | 3.17% | 14.78% |
| 2017 | 65.89% | 12.97% | 3.19% | 14.94% |
| 2018 | 65.40% | 13.02% | 3.49% | 14.96% |
| 2019 | 65.78% | 12.99% | 3.32% | 14.85% |
| 2020 | 63.00% | 12.97% | 3.55% | 15.14% |
| 2021 | 60.05% | 13.66% | 3.89% | 16.75% |
Over the road driver wage gap by race
According to our data, white over the road drivers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian over the road drivers have the lowest average salary at $60,047.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $60,642 |
| White | $61,138 |
| Black or African American | $60,247 |
| Asian | $60,047 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $60,521 |
Average over the road driver age
See how the average age of over the road drivers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Over the road driver age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 49 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 39.5 |
| Asian | 46 | 43 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 45 | 43 |
| White | 51 | 48 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 49.5 | 47 |
Over the road driver age breakdown
The average age of over the road drivers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the over the road driver population.
Over the road driver age breakdown
| Over The Road Driver Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 19% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Over the road driver educational attainment
The most common degree for over the road drivers is high school diploma, with 37% of over the road drivers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 14%.
- High School Diploma, 37%
- Associate, 19%
- Diploma, 14%
- Bachelor's, 13%
- Other Degrees, 17%
Over the road drivers by degree level
| Over the road driver degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 37% |
| Associate | 19% |
| Diploma | 14% |
| Bachelor's | 13% |
| Other Degrees | 17% |
Over the road driver jobs you might like
Over the road driver wage gap by degree level
According to the data, over the road drivers with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $63,615 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, over the road drivers earn a median annual income of $62,943 compared to $62,411 for over the road drivers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,214 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $62,411 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,943 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $63,615 |
Over the road driver employment statistics
Most over the road drivers work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where over the road drivers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where over the road drivers work.
Over the road driver jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 34% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 15% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Over the road driver jobs by company type
Employees with the over the road driver job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most over the road drivers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Over the road driver jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 86% |
| Government | 1% |
Over the road driver jobs by industry
The most common industries for over the road drivers are transportation, professional and manufacturing.
Over the road driver industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 60% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Over the road driver turnover and employment statistics
Over the road driver unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for over the road drivers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Over the road driver unemployment rate by year
| Year | Over the road driver unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.33% |
| 2011 | 8.73% |
| 2012 | 7.76% |
| 2013 | 6.88% |
| 2014 | 5.54% |
| 2015 | 4.98% |
| 2016 | 4.17% |
| 2017 | 4.08% |
| 2018 | 3.68% |
| 2019 | 3.45% |
| 2020 | 5.26% |
| 2021 | 5.44% |
Average over the road driver tenure
The average over the road driver stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 21,331 over the road drivers resumes in Zippia's database.
Over the road driver tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 47% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 8% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Over the road driver LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of over the road drivers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Street Cleaning Equipment Operator | 1.73% | 49,524 |
| Over The Road Driver | 3.95% | - |
| Medical Van Driver | 6.17% | 221,316 |
| Motor Coach Operator | 8.69% | 40,807 |
| Special Needs Bus Driver | 8.77% | 51,389 |
Similar over the road driver jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Street Cleaning Equipment Operator | 1.73% | 49,524 |
| Medical Van Driver | 6.17% | 221,316 |
| Motor Coach Operator | 8.69% | 40,807 |
| Special Needs Bus Driver | 8.77% | 51,389 |
Foreign languages spoken by over the road drivers
The most common foreign language among over the road drivers is Spanish at 58.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 6.5% and Carrier is the third-most popular at 5.8%.
- Spanish, 58.7%
- German, 6.5%
- Carrier, 5.8%
- French, 4.5%
- Portuguese, 3.9%
- Other, 20.6%
Over the road driver languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 58.7% |
| German | 6.5% |
| Carrier | 5.8% |
| French | 4.5% |
| Portuguese | 3.9% |
| Other | 20.6% |
