How much does a truck driver class a make?

The average truck driver class a salary in the United States is $63,270. Truck driver class a salaries typically range between $43,000 and $92,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for truck drivers class a is $30.42 per hour. Truck driver class a salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Truck drivers class a earn the highest average salary in North Dakota.

Truck driver class a salary

Q: What state pays Truck Drivers Class A the most?

North Dakota pays Truck Drivers Class A the most in the United States, with an average salary of $76,218 per year, or $36.64 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a truck driver class a?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a truck driver class a if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in District of Columbia you should be paid close to $72,411 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Truck Driver Class A?

A good starting salary for a truck driver class a is $43,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a truck driver class a in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for truck drivers class a is $64,081, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a truck driver class a can vary by state.

Q: How much do Amazon Class A truck drivers make?

An Amazon Class A truck driver makes between $70,000 to $90,000 a year. There are several factors that impact earning potential for an Amazon Class A truck driver, including the type of truck (freight vs. van) and the distance traveled (regional vs. cross-country).

Q: How much does a Class A CDL driver make?

A Class A CDL driver makes between $48,000 to $100,000 a year. The very high variability in earning potential reflects factors such as location, truck type, and distance traveled (regional vs. national).

Q: Is a Class A CDL worth getting?

Yes, a Class A CDL license is worth getting. It's a great time, more than ever before, to get into a Class A CDL truck driving career, with so many jobs available. Holding a Class A CDL license gives you great job security. There's also a good deal of flexibility in the type of trucking job you can take. Some truckers are away for weeks at a time, while other truck drivers are home every night and weekend.

Average truck driver class a salary

$63,270

$30.42 hourly rate

Entry-level truck driver class a salary

$43,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Truck Driver Class A Salaries

The average salary for a Class A Truck Driver stands at $63,270 per year, or about $30 per hour. However, these figures can fluctuate significantly based on various factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and job specialization. For instance, truck drivers in states like Alaska and California often earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled drivers.

Salary by Experience

Entry-level Class A Truck Drivers can expect to earn around $45,000 per year, while those with more experience, particularly in specialized fields such as hazardous materials or long-haul trucking, can see salaries rise to $80,000 or more. This emphasizes the importance of gaining experience and seeking out opportunities that offer advancement.

Highest Paying Locations

According to recent data, cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and New York consistently rank among the highest-paying locations for Class A Truck Drivers. In these areas, salaries can exceed $75,000 annually, reflecting the competitive nature of the job market.

For those considering a career as a Class A Truck Driver or looking to negotiate their salaries, understanding these aspects of the job market is crucial. Explore your options and find the best opportunities to maximize your earning potential.

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Where can a Truck Driver Class A earn more?

Compare salary by location

93k

73k

53k

33k

Columbus, OH$68,341

Des Moines, WA$62,841

Compare salary by company

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98k

78k

58k

38k

Walmart$87,951

Carvana$67,649

Truck driver class a salaries by experience level

Average truck driver class a salary by state

The highest-paying states for truck drivers class a are North Dakota, Wyoming, and Connecticut. The lowest average truck driver class a salary states are Arizona, Oregon, and Arkansas.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for truck drivers class a

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	North Dakota	$76,218	$36.64
2	Wyoming	$70,618	$33.95
3	Oklahoma	$65,072	$31.28
4	Pennsylvania	$66,149	$31.80
5	Kentucky	$64,188	$30.86
6	Wisconsin	$65,923	$31.69
7	Minnesota	$68,010	$32.70
8	Kansas	$64,476	$31.00
9	Nebraska	$63,969	$30.75
10	Ohio	$63,860	$30.70
11	Illinois	$67,154	$32.29
12	Vermont	$68,066	$32.72
13	Tennessee	$63,232	$30.40
14	Michigan	$64,328	$30.93
15	Indiana	$63,640	$30.60
16	West Virginia	$62,223	$29.91
17	South Dakota	$62,371	$29.99
18	Connecticut	$69,692	$33.51
19	Rhode Island	$66,625	$32.03
20	Nevada	$65,671	$31.57
21	Iowa	$62,952	$30.27
22	Delaware	$65,898	$31.68
23	New York	$68,598	$32.98
24	New Hampshire	$66,304	$31.88
25	Georgia	$63,526	$30.54
26	New Jersey	$68,297	$32.84
27	Missouri	$62,708	$30.15
28	District of Columbia	$72,411	$34.81
29	Massachusetts	$66,475	$31.96
30	Utah	$62,791	$30.19
31	Mississippi	$61,400	$29.52
32	Colorado	$64,816	$31.16
33	New Mexico	$62,017	$29.82
34	Alabama	$59,988	$28.84
35	South Carolina	$61,385	$29.51
36	Virginia	$63,715	$30.63
37	Arkansas	$58,825	$28.28
38	North Carolina	$61,842	$29.73
39	Louisiana	$60,280	$28.98
40	Texas	$61,437	$29.54
41	Washington	$62,764	$30.18
42	Idaho	$59,870	$28.78
43	Montana	$61,892	$29.76
44	Maryland	$62,518	$30.06
45	Alaska	$57,758	$27.77
46	Maine	$60,190	$28.94
47	Arizona	$59,734	$28.72
48	Oregon	$58,877	$28.31
49	California	$59,988	$28.84
50	Florida	$57,938	$27.85
51	Hawaii	$50,663	$24.36

Top truck driver class a jobs near you

Highest paying cities for truck drivers class a

The highest-paying cities for truck drivers class a are Newark, NJ, Minneapolis, MN, and Chicago, IL.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Newark, NJ	$68,341	$32.86
2	Minneapolis, MN	$68,023	$32.70
3	Chicago, IL	$67,270	$32.34
4	Philadelphia, PA	$66,257	$31.85
5	Milwaukee, WI	$66,020	$31.74
6	Wilmington, DE	$65,945	$31.70
7	Las Vegas, NV	$65,650	$31.56
8	Oklahoma City, OK	$64,994	$31.25
9	Denver, CO	$64,730	$31.12
10	Kansas City, KS	$64,595	$31.06
11	Detroit, MI	$64,327	$30.93
12	Richmond, KY	$64,310	$30.92
13	Cleveland, OH	$64,102	$30.82
14	Omaha, NE	$64,087	$30.81
15	Fort Wayne, IN	$63,800	$30.67
16	Richmond, VA	$63,651	$30.60
17	Atlanta, GA	$63,618	$30.59
18	Cleveland, TN	$63,384	$30.47
19	Saint Louis, MO	$62,902	$30.24
20	Des Moines, WA	$62,841	$30.21

Truck Drivers Class A are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Truck driver class a salary details

A truck driver class a's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $92,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average truck driver class a salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a truck driver class a's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$92,000	$7,667	$44
75th Percentile	$77,000	$6,417	$37
Average	$63,270	$5,273	$30
25th Percentile	$51,000	$4,250	$25
10th Percentile	$43,000	$3,583	$21

Highest paying truck driver class a jobs

The highest paying types of truck drivers class a are truck driver-over-the-road, commercial truck driver, and cdl driver.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Class A Driver	$56,620	$4,718	$27.22	706,950
Class B Driver	$44,233	$3,686	$21.27	703,020
CDL Driver	$63,112	$5,259	$30.34	784,044
CDL Class A Driver	$52,203	$4,350	$25.10	696,903
Local Driver	$48,160	$4,013	$23.15	786,531
Mixer Driver	$52,004	$4,334	$25.00	990,295

Top companies hiring truck drivers class a now:

Which companies pay truck drivers class a the most?

Truck driver class a salaries at Walmart and Air Products are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average truck driver class a salary at companies like Mid-South Management and Target are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Walmart	$87,951	$42.28
2	Air Products	$85,623	$41.16
3	Mid-South Management	$82,539	$39.68
4	Target	$81,001	$38.94
5	Tyson Foods	$78,569	$37.77
6	Bob's Discount Furniture	$75,062	$36.09
7	Smithfield Foods	$74,753	$35.94
8	Covenant	$71,709	$34.48
9	Schneider National	$71,569	$34.41
10	Ashley HomeStore	$71,198	$34.23
11	Werner Enterprises	$71,080	$34.17
12	McLane	$70,599	$33.94
13	Woodfield Country Club	$70,529	$33.91
14	Hub Group	$70,413	$33.85
15	Transportation Services, Inc. (tsi)	$70,221	$33.76
16	Sysco	$68,577	$32.97
17	Dot Foods	$68,434	$32.90
18	Ace Hardware	$68,269	$32.82
19	Penske Logistics	$67,756	$32.58
20	Carvana	$67,649	$32.52

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$62,000$60,400$58,800$57,200$55,600$54,000

MaleFemale

Truck driver class a salary trends

The average truck driver class a salary has risen by $12,351 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average truck driver class a earned $50,919 annually, but today, they earn $63,270 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for truck drivers class a over the last decade.

Compare truck driver class a salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average truck driver class a salary over time

Compare truck driver class a salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Truck driver class a salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$63,300	$30.42	+4.0%
2024	$60,800	$29.21	+3.5%
2023	$58,600	$28.19	+2.7%
2022	$57,000	$27.42	+2.7%
2021	$55,500	$26.68	+2.6%

Recently added truck driver class a salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-Local Class A	Sacramento, CA	06/30/2025	$53,803
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-Local Class A	Frederick, MD	06/30/2025	$95,000
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-Local Class A	San Antonio, TX	06/30/2025	$48,523
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-CDL Class A	Gonzales, LA	06/30/2025	$68,640
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-Local Class A	Omaha, NE	06/30/2025	$65,000
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-CDL Class A	Rochester, NY	06/30/2025	$63,654
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-Local Class A	Birmingham, AL	06/30/2025	$75,000
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-Local Class A	Denver, CO	06/30/2025	$81,946
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-Local Class A	Paterson, NJ	06/30/2025	$120,000
Penske Truck Leasing	Truck Driver-CDL Class B	Essex Junction, VT	06/30/2025	$66,976