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Pick up driver salary
Average pick up driver salary
$49,813
Understanding Pick Up Driver Salaries
The average salary for a Pick Up Driver in the United States is approximately $49,813 per year, translating to around $24 per hour. Salary ranges can differ significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific employer. For instance, entry-level drivers typically earn less than those with several years of experience.
In terms of geography, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for delivery services. Urban areas tend to provide more job opportunities and potentially higher wages compared to rural locations.
Furthermore, specific companies and roles within the industry can also affect earnings. Drivers working for well-known logistics companies may enjoy better pay and benefits than those in smaller, local firms. To maximize your earning potential, consider both your experience level and the geographic area where you plan to work.
Key Insights
- Average salary: $49,813 per year
- Influencing factors: experience, location, employer
- Higher salaries in urban and high-demand areas
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Where can a Pick Up Driver earn more?
Pick up driver salaries by experience level
Average pick up driver salary by state
The average pick up driver salary in North Dakota, Alaska, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average pick up driver salary states are Idaho, Mississippi, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for pick up drivers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $56,543 | $27.18 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $54,660 | $26.28 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $56,964 | $27.39 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $57,423 | $27.61 |
| 5 | New York | $62,003 | $29.81 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $64,540 | $31.03 |
| 7 | Iowa | $54,220 | $26.07 |
| 8 | Maine | $53,781 | $25.86 |
| 9 | Indiana | $52,704 | $25.34 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $53,803 | $25.87 |
| 11 | Colorado | $60,777 | $29.22 |
| 12 | Alaska | $62,035 | $29.82 |
| 13 | Ohio | $51,478 | $24.75 |
| 14 | Maryland | $60,020 | $28.86 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $54,024 | $25.97 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $54,618 | $26.26 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $48,982 | $23.55 |
| 18 | Washington | $58,836 | $28.29 |
| 19 | Michigan | $50,640 | $24.35 |
| 20 | Arizona | $54,789 | $26.34 |
| 21 | Nevada | $52,987 | $25.47 |
| 22 | Delaware | $54,206 | $26.06 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $52,042 | $25.02 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $49,569 | $23.83 |
| 25 | Kansas | $49,905 | $23.99 |
| 26 | Missouri | $51,185 | $24.61 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $51,308 | $24.67 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $49,203 | $23.66 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $59,588 | $28.65 |
| 30 | Montana | $51,609 | $24.81 |
| 31 | Oregon | $52,343 | $25.16 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $51,486 | $24.75 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $48,564 | $23.35 |
| 34 | Illinois | $51,176 | $24.60 |
| 35 | Utah | $50,940 | $24.49 |
| 36 | Florida | $50,289 | $24.18 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $49,917 | $24.00 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $51,022 | $24.53 |
| 39 | Georgia | $49,422 | $23.76 |
| 40 | Vermont | $49,160 | $23.63 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $46,375 | $22.30 |
| 42 | Virginia | $49,199 | $23.65 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $47,253 | $22.72 |
| 44 | Alabama | $46,262 | $22.24 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $47,492 | $22.83 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $56,706 | $27.26 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $45,801 | $22.02 |
| 48 | California | $48,847 | $23.48 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $46,058 | $22.14 |
| 50 | Idaho | $46,977 | $22.59 |
| 51 | Texas | $43,918 | $21.11 |
Highest paying cities for pick up drivers
The highest-paying cities for pick up drivers are Denver, CO, Germantown, MD, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver, CO | $60,852 | $29.26 |
| 2 | Germantown, MD | $59,766 | $28.73 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $59,630 | $28.67 |
| 4 | Omaha, NE | $57,090 | $27.45 |
| 5 | Kailua, HI | $56,699 | $27.26 |
| 6 | Indianapolis, IN | $52,546 | $25.26 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $51,523 | $24.77 |
| 8 | Arlington Heights, IL | $51,344 | $24.68 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $51,089 | $24.56 |
| 10 | West Jordan, UT | $50,848 | $24.45 |
| 11 | Detroit, MI | $50,749 | $24.40 |
| 12 | Arlington, VA | $50,128 | $24.10 |
| 13 | San Rafael, CA | $49,794 | $23.94 |
| 14 | Trenton, NJ | $49,721 | $23.90 |
| 15 | Green Bay, WI | $49,632 | $23.86 |
| 16 | Florence, KY | $47,743 | $22.95 |
Pick up driver salary details
A pick up driver's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $68,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a pick up driver's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,813 | $4,151 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying pick up driver jobs
The highest paying types of pick up drivers are dock worker/forklift operator, lead forklift operator, and loader/driver.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forklift | $32,015 | $2,668 | $15.39 | 113,257 |
| Loader Operator | $36,987 | $3,082 | $17.78 | 61,980 |
| Material Handler/Forklift Operator | $36,453 | $3,038 | $17.53 | 168,379 |
| Machine Operator/Forklift Operator | $32,452 | $2,704 | $15.60 | 120,073 |
| Warehouse Machine Operator | $33,796 | $2,816 | $16.25 | 229,051 |
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
Top companies hiring pick up drivers now:
Which companies pay pick up drivers the most?
Pick up driver salaries at Wayfair and CARE are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average pick up driver salary at companies like Zūm and Helpmates, Inc are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayfair | $57,533 | $27.66 |
| 2 | CARE | $54,406 | $26.16 |
| 3 | Zūm | $53,168 | $25.56 |
| 4 | Helpmates, Inc | $52,170 | $25.08 |
| 5 | Citrin | $52,024 | $25.01 |
| 6 | B&H Photo Video | $49,415 | $23.76 |
| 7 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $49,087 | $23.60 |
| 8 | SafeHaven of Tarrant County | $45,549 | $21.90 |
| 9 | The Salvation Army | $44,937 | $21.60 |
| 10 | Shipt | $42,454 | $20.41 |
| 11 | Gillman Automotive Group | $42,245 | $20.31 |
| 12 | Adecco | $36,261 | $17.43 |
| 13 | Five Below | $35,682 | $17.15 |
| 14 | PeopleReady | $35,402 | $17.02 |
| 15 | Trc Staffing Services | $33,827 | $16.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Pick Up Driver salary by industry
The average pick up driver salary varies across industries:
- The average pick up driver salary in the transportation industry is $51,642, the highest of any industry.
- The average pick up driver salary in the finance industry is $50,873.
- Pick up drivers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $42,034, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for pick up drivers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation | $51,642 | $24.83 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $50,873 | $24.46 |
| 3 | Energy | $50,550 | $24.30 |
| 4 | Start-up | $43,179 | $20.76 |
| 5 | Retail | $42,034 | $20.21 |
High paying pick up driver jobs
Pick up driver salary trends
The average pick up driver salary has risen by $10,013 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average pick up driver earned $39,800 annually, but today, they earn $49,813 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for pick up drivers over the last decade.
Compare pick up driver salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average pick up driver salary over time
Compare pick up driver salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Pick up driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $49,800 | $23.95 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $48,000 | $23.08 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $46,100 | $22.16 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $44,600 | $21.44 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $43,000 | $20.70 | +1.1% |
Recently added pick up driver salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manpowergroup | Cherry Picker Driver | Phillipsburg, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $35,479 |
| Lipari Foods | Shipping/Receiving: Order Picker/Forklift Driver & Order Picker | Kenosha, WI | 06/07/2025 | $41,740 |
| Dairy Farmers of America | Shoreham Farm Pick Up Driver | Shoreham, VT | 03/22/2025 | $52,175 |
| Schupan & Sons | Pick-Up Driver | Kalamazoo, MI | 03/09/2025 | $37,566 |
| Dfamilk | Shoreham Farm Pick Up Driver | Vermont | 02/20/2025 | $52,175 |
| GSC Wholesale | Cherry Picker Driver, Stocker, In Training-1St. Shift | Dry Grocery | South Houston, TX | 02/18/2025 | $35,479 |
| Sunbelt Rentals | Driver 1-Stake Body or Pick Up Driver | Winston-Salem, NC | 02/13/2025 | $37,044 |
| Dairy Farmers of America | ST. Albans Farm Pick Up Driver | Saint Albans, VT | 01/23/2025 | $52,175 |
| Jobsource | NOW Cherry Picker Drivers | Riverside, CA | 01/21/2025 | $35,479 |
| Sunbelt Rentals | Driver 1-Stake Body or Pick Up Driver | Camp Hill, PA | 12/16/2024 | $36,251 |
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