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Job outlook for pick up truck drivers in the United States
Are pick up truck driver jobs in demand?
Pick up truck driver job and salary trends over time
Pick up truck driver jobs over time
Pick up truck driver job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 703 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 647 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 642 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 637 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 610 | 0.00% |
Average pick up truck driver salary over time
Pick up truck driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,705 | $15.24 | +6.7% |
| 2024 | $29,720 | $14.29 | +5.9% |
| 2023 | $28,077 | $13.50 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $26,913 | $12.94 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $26,169 | $12.58 | +2.4% |
Pick up truck driver jobs by state
Most common states for pick up truck drivers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 10,369 | 81% |
| 2 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 9,463 | 81% |
| 3 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 8,482 | 81% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 3,918 | 78% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 4,908 | 74% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 2,020 | 64% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 616 | 64% |
| 8 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 1,069 | 59% |
| 9 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 2,412 | 54% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 331 | 53% |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 3,035 | 52% |
| 12 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 1,561 | 52% |
| 13 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 3,362 | 50% |
| 14 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 2,428 | 50% |
| 15 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 1,463 | 49% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 1,379 | 47% |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 440 | 42% |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 2,509 | 41% |
| 19 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 4,023 | 39% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 225 | 39% |
Most common cities for pick up truck drivers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naperville | 1 | 1% | $31,864 |
Pick Up Truck Driver job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of pick up truck driver experts
CVTA
NAPFTDS
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Pick Up Truck Driver job market given the pandemic?
Don Lefeve: The market for commercial drivers should remain strong for the foreseeable future due to older driver retirements, tight capacity, and the increase of home delivery of goods resulting from COVID. COVID has resulted in fewer commercial drivers being produced in 2020, compared to 2019. It is important to note that Class A Commercial Driver's License is as much of a requirement to drive large commercial trucks as it is an excellent safety credential for those who may not drive commercial trucks.
The biggest trend currently is tight capacity. What this means is there are too few drivers willing to move goods at the requested price. This means shippers need to pay more to move goods, which in turn, results in trucking companies charging more and driver pay rises. Pay has been rising, and commercial driving is a solid foundation for a career in trucking.
How do you envision technology impacting Pick Up Truck Drivers in the next 5 years?
Martin Garsee: Technology has changed every aspect of the industry in the last few years. Many of the systems that are on trucks make them much safer.
Collision mitigation systems, Blind spot alerts, cameras inside and outside the cab, lane departure warnings, these are currently offered on the truck of today. We see these systems getting better, which makes the driver a safer driver.