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Driver/material handler salary
Average driver/material handler salary
$36,219
Average Driver/Material Handler Salary
As of October 2025, the average Driver/Material Handler salary stands at $36,219 annually. This position is critical in various sectors, including transportation and logistics. Experience and skill levels significantly influence earnings, with entry-level positions starting lower and seasoned professionals earning more.
Where Can You Earn More?
Geographic location plays a significant role in salary variations. For instance, states like California and Texas offer higher average salaries due to the demand for skilled drivers. Additionally, urban areas often provide better compensation than rural regions. Understanding these dynamics can aid job seekers in identifying the best opportunities.
Highest Paying Cities
- San Francisco, CA
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
These cities not only boast higher salaries but also a vibrant job market, making them ideal for those pursuing a career as a Driver/Material Handler. Keeping an eye on trends can provide insights into potential job opportunities and salary expectations.
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Where can a Driver/Material Handler earn more?
Driver/material handler salaries by experience level
Average driver/material handler salary by state
The highest-paying states for driver/material handlers are Hawaii, Alaska, and Utah. The lowest average driver/material handler salary states are New Hampshire, Georgia, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for driver/material handlers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $42,361 | $20.37 |
| 2 | Nevada | $40,844 | $19.64 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $39,402 | $18.94 |
| 4 | Arizona | $40,487 | $19.46 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $40,900 | $19.66 |
| 6 | Oregon | $41,650 | $20.02 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $37,546 | $18.05 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $38,739 | $18.62 |
| 9 | Alaska | $46,384 | $22.30 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $39,605 | $19.04 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $36,692 | $17.64 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $38,396 | $18.46 |
| 13 | Nebraska | $38,587 | $18.55 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $35,832 | $17.23 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $37,575 | $18.06 |
| 16 | Washington | $40,930 | $19.68 |
| 17 | Iowa | $35,863 | $17.24 |
| 18 | Kansas | $36,471 | $17.53 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $47,163 | $22.67 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $40,603 | $19.52 |
| 21 | Ohio | $34,436 | $16.56 |
| 22 | Illinois | $36,510 | $17.55 |
| 23 | California | $41,759 | $20.08 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $37,734 | $18.14 |
| 25 | Michigan | $35,259 | $16.95 |
| 26 | Maine | $36,632 | $17.61 |
| 27 | Colorado | $38,827 | $18.67 |
| 28 | Texas | $36,379 | $17.49 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $34,230 | $16.46 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $35,937 | $17.28 |
| 31 | Delaware | $35,766 | $17.20 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $33,717 | $16.21 |
| 33 | Maryland | $36,172 | $17.39 |
| 34 | Alabama | $34,205 | $16.44 |
| 35 | Indiana | $33,693 | $16.20 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $33,292 | $16.01 |
| 37 | Montana | $36,549 | $17.57 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $34,007 | $16.35 |
| 39 | Missouri | $34,716 | $16.69 |
| 40 | Idaho | $34,836 | $16.75 |
| 41 | Georgia | $33,333 | $16.03 |
| 42 | New York | $37,023 | $17.80 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $33,729 | $16.22 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $32,628 | $15.69 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $33,524 | $16.12 |
| 46 | Connecticut | $34,876 | $16.77 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $35,791 | $17.21 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $33,467 | $16.09 |
| 49 | Vermont | $32,446 | $15.60 |
| 50 | Florida | $34,144 | $16.42 |
| 51 | Virginia | $32,903 | $15.82 |
Highest paying cities for driver/material handlers
The highest-paying cities for driver/material handlers are Santa Clara, CA, Ogden, UT, and Auburn, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | $42,597 | $20.48 |
| 2 | Ogden, UT | $42,401 | $20.39 |
| 3 | Auburn, WA | $40,990 | $19.71 |
| 4 | Buckeye, AZ | $40,743 | $19.59 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $40,680 | $19.56 |
| 6 | Aurora, CO | $38,780 | $18.64 |
| 7 | Omaha, NE | $38,546 | $18.53 |
| 8 | Oklahoma City, OK | $37,600 | $18.08 |
| 9 | Madison, WI | $37,522 | $18.04 |
| 10 | Amarillo, TX | $36,985 | $17.78 |
| 11 | Elgin, IL | $36,656 | $17.62 |
| 12 | Kansas City, KS | $36,427 | $17.51 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $36,294 | $17.45 |
| 14 | Metairie, LA | $35,855 | $17.24 |
| 15 | Grand Rapids, MI | $35,461 | $17.05 |
| 16 | Kansas City, MO | $35,023 | $16.84 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $34,233 | $16.46 |
| 18 | Tampa, FL | $34,205 | $16.44 |
| 19 | Birmingham, AL | $34,173 | $16.43 |
| 20 | Memphis, TN | $33,865 | $16.28 |
Driver/material handler salary details
A driver/material handler's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a driver/material handler's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $36,219 | $3,018 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying driver/material handler jobs
The highest paying types of driver/material handlers are truck driver, loader/driver, and material handler lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Labour | $31,746 | $2,646 | $15.26 | 218,654 |
| Cherry Picker Operator | $33,956 | $2,830 | $16.32 | 105,023 |
| Dock Worker | $36,027 | $3,002 | $17.32 | 119,104 |
| Warehouse Machine Operator | $33,796 | $2,816 | $16.25 | 229,051 |
| Forklift Driver | $33,476 | $2,790 | $16.09 | 116,516 |
| Truck Driver | $60,326 | $5,027 | $29.00 | 827,858 |
Top companies hiring driver/material handlers now:
Which companies pay driver/material handlers the most?
Driver/material handler salaries at Merck and FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average driver/material handler salary at companies like Clean Harbors and Northwest Center are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merck | $41,652 | $20.02 |
| 2 | FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA | $40,183 | $19.32 |
| 3 | Clean Harbors | $39,953 | $19.21 |
| 4 | Northwest Center | $39,951 | $19.21 |
| 5 | Siemens | $39,497 | $18.99 |
| 6 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $39,148 | $18.82 |
| 7 | B&W Quality Growers | $39,066 | $18.78 |
| 8 | Corsair | $38,523 | $18.52 |
| 9 | Basalite Concrete Products | $38,134 | $18.33 |
| 10 | Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co | $38,058 | $18.30 |
| 11 | AO Architects | $37,875 | $18.21 |
| 12 | Hearthside Food Solutions | $37,867 | $18.21 |
| 13 | Sonoco | $37,769 | $18.16 |
| 14 | Organogenesis | $37,718 | $18.13 |
| 15 | Foxwoods Resort Casino | $37,600 | $18.08 |
| 16 | Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership | $37,572 | $18.06 |
| 17 | International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc. | $37,522 | $18.04 |
| 18 | Amcor | $37,419 | $17.99 |
| 19 | Baxter International | $37,327 | $17.95 |
| 20 | Clyde Companies | $37,290 | $17.93 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Driver/Material Handler salary by industry
The average driver/material handler salary varies across industries:
- The average driver/material handler salary in the automotive industry is $37,351, the highest of any industry.
- The average driver/material handler salary in the finance industry is $35,497.
- Driver/material handlers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $35,008, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for driver/material handlers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $37,351 | $17.96 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $35,497 | $17.07 |
| 3 | Transportation | $35,291 | $16.97 |
| 4 | Retail | $35,008 | $16.83 |
High paying driver/material handler jobs
Driver/material handler salary trends
The average driver/material handler salary has risen by $7,280 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average driver/material handler earned $28,939 annually, but today, they earn $36,219 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for driver/material handlers over the last decade.
Compare driver/material handler salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average driver/material handler salary over time
Compare driver/material handler salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Driver/material handler salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,200 | $17.41 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $34,900 | $16.78 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $33,500 | $16.11 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $32,400 | $15.59 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $31,300 | $15.05 | +1.1% |
Recently added driver/material handler salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrow Electronics | Material Handler/Forklift Driver AM PM) | Reno, NV | 06/30/2025 | $41,740 |
| U.S. Venture | Warehouse Material Handler Hybrid Driver | Las Vegas, NV | 06/30/2025 | $42,784 |
| U.S. Venture | Warehouse Material Handler Hybrid Driver | Winchester, VA | 06/30/2025 | $41,740 |
| Blue Origin | Material Handler/Driver II | Arlington, WA | 06/30/2025 | $47,208 |
| Ppg Architectural Finishes | Truck Driver/Material Handler | Savannah, GA | 06/29/2025 | $50,985 |
| Aerotek | Forklift Driver/Material Handler | Waite Park, MN | 06/27/2025 | $43,827 |
| Aerotek | Floors/Drive & Material Handlers . | San Antonio, TX | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Space Exploration Technologies | Material Transfer Driver-Weekday 2Nd Shift | Hawthorne, CA | 06/24/2025 | $54,262 |
| Iron Mountain | Art Handler/Driver | New Castle, PA | 06/21/2025 | $41,740 |
| Vinylmax | Forklift Driver/Material Handler 2Nd Shift | Hamilton, OH | 06/21/2025 | $37,566 |
Driver/material handler salary FAQs
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