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Truck operator salary
Average truck operator salary
$39,608
Understanding Truck Operator Salaries
The average truck operator salary in the United States is approximately $39,608 per year, translating to about $19 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, experience, and the specific industry in which operators are employed. For instance, operators working in freight transportation often earn higher wages compared to those in other sectors.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level truck operators can expect to start at lower salary levels, while those with several years of experience command significantly higher pay. Specifically, operators with 5-10 years of experience can earn anywhere from $45,000 to $55,000 annually, making experience a key factor in determining salary.
Top Paying States
When considering where to work, certain states offer higher average salaries for truck operators. States like Alaska and California consistently rank among the top for truck operator salaries, reflecting the demand for logistics and transportation services in these regions.
Overall, understanding these dynamics can help aspiring truck operators plan their careers effectively and maximize their earning potential.
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Where can a Truck Operator earn more?
Truck operator salaries by experience level
Truck operator salary estimates from across the web
Average truck operator salary by state
The average truck operator salary in Washington, Minnesota, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average truck operator salary states are South Carolina, Kansas, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for truck operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $48,130 | $23.14 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $44,356 | $21.32 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $42,744 | $20.55 |
| 4 | Washington | $49,539 | $23.82 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $46,889 | $22.54 |
| 6 | Vermont | $46,691 | $22.45 |
| 7 | Delaware | $44,113 | $21.21 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $41,291 | $19.85 |
| 9 | Indiana | $40,267 | $19.36 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $45,865 | $22.05 |
| 11 | New York | $46,743 | $22.47 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $40,685 | $19.56 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $46,642 | $22.42 |
| 14 | Maryland | $44,598 | $21.44 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $45,499 | $21.87 |
| 16 | Illinois | $39,865 | $19.17 |
| 17 | Georgia | $40,120 | $19.29 |
| 18 | Montana | $41,068 | $19.74 |
| 19 | Iowa | $38,755 | $18.63 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $43,753 | $21.04 |
| 21 | Alaska | $45,251 | $21.76 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $39,728 | $19.10 |
| 23 | Michigan | $38,598 | $18.56 |
| 24 | Missouri | $39,449 | $18.97 |
| 25 | Ohio | $37,099 | $17.84 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $38,316 | $18.42 |
| 27 | Utah | $39,721 | $19.10 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $39,773 | $19.12 |
| 29 | Maine | $39,913 | $19.19 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $45,202 | $21.73 |
| 31 | California | $40,713 | $19.57 |
| 32 | Nevada | $39,553 | $19.02 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $36,163 | $17.39 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $41,525 | $19.96 |
| 35 | Oregon | $39,269 | $18.88 |
| 36 | Colorado | $40,193 | $19.32 |
| 37 | Virginia | $40,162 | $19.31 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $36,683 | $17.64 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $38,530 | $18.52 |
| 40 | Texas | $39,369 | $18.93 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $41,898 | $20.14 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $35,535 | $17.08 |
| 43 | Idaho | $36,508 | $17.55 |
| 44 | Arizona | $39,500 | $18.99 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $35,573 | $17.10 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $33,761 | $16.23 |
| 47 | Alabama | $33,359 | $16.04 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $29,390 | $14.13 |
| 49 | Kansas | $34,120 | $16.40 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $32,398 | $15.58 |
| 51 | Florida | $36,019 | $17.32 |
Highest paying cities for truck operators
The highest-paying cities for truck operators are Saint Paul, MN, Fargo, ND, and Saratoga Springs, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Paul, MN | $48,117 | $23.13 |
| 2 | Fargo, ND | $45,989 | $22.11 |
| 3 | Saratoga Springs, NY | $45,809 | $22.02 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $44,735 | $21.51 |
| 5 | York, PA | $44,111 | $21.21 |
| 6 | Piscataway, NJ | $43,775 | $21.05 |
| 7 | Manteca, CA | $41,312 | $19.86 |
| 8 | Billings, MT | $41,012 | $19.72 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $40,241 | $19.35 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $40,107 | $19.28 |
| 11 | Savannah, GA | $40,047 | $19.25 |
| 12 | Hampton, VA | $40,037 | $19.25 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $40,016 | $19.24 |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX | $39,488 | $18.98 |
| 15 | Kansas City, MO | $39,486 | $18.98 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $39,471 | $18.98 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $38,813 | $18.66 |
| 18 | Toledo, OH | $37,438 | $18.00 |
| 19 | Smyrna, TN | $36,268 | $17.44 |
| 20 | Tampa, FL | $36,101 | $17.36 |
Truck operator salary details
A truck operator's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $50,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a truck operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 75th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| Average | $39,608 | $3,301 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying truck operator jobs
The highest paying types of truck operators are commercial truck driver, truck driver class a, and over the road driver.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over The Road Driver | $62,119 | $5,177 | $29.86 | 711,143 |
| Delivery Helper | $33,482 | $2,790 | $16.10 | 166,571 |
| Commercial Truck Driver | $64,512 | $5,376 | $31.02 | 719,069 |
| Water Truck Driver | $50,440 | $4,203 | $24.25 | 860,835 |
| Local Truck Driver | $59,069 | $4,922 | $28.40 | 709,260 |
| Haul Truck Driver | $60,932 | $5,078 | $29.29 | 704,286 |
Top companies hiring truck operators now:
Which companies pay truck operators the most?
Truck operator salaries at Mars and Steel Dynamics are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average truck operator salary at companies like Metals USA and Genesee & Wyoming are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mars | $48,894 | $23.51 |
| 2 | Steel Dynamics | $47,943 | $23.05 |
| 3 | Metals USA | $47,339 | $22.76 |
| 4 | Genesee & Wyoming | $45,753 | $22.00 |
| 5 | Clean Harbors | $45,326 | $21.79 |
| 6 | KS Energy Services | $44,811 | $21.54 |
| 7 | RailWorks | $44,791 | $21.53 |
| 8 | Custom Concrete Co., Inc. | $44,784 | $21.53 |
| 9 | Ledcor | $44,641 | $21.46 |
| 10 | Morton Buildings | $44,608 | $21.45 |
| 11 | Curtis Contracting | $44,585 | $21.44 |
| 12 | Fisher Industries | $44,439 | $21.36 |
| 13 | Southeast Connections | $44,378 | $21.34 |
| 14 | Martin Marietta | $44,325 | $21.31 |
| 15 | Newmont | $44,302 | $21.30 |
| 16 | WestRock | $43,701 | $21.01 |
| 17 | Pactiv | $43,612 | $20.97 |
| 18 | Ranger Energy Services | $43,508 | $20.92 |
| 19 | Quad | $43,409 | $20.87 |
| 20 | ASPEN PRODUCTS | $43,325 | $20.83 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Truck Operator salary by industry
The average truck operator salary varies across industries:
- The average truck operator salary in the construction industry is $43,058, the highest of any industry.
- The average truck operator salary in the finance industry is $42,794.
- Truck operators in the utilities industry earn an average salary of $39,551, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for truck operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $43,058 | $20.70 |
| 2 | Energy | $42,794 | $20.57 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $41,679 | $20.04 |
| 4 | Transportation | $40,623 | $19.53 |
| 5 | Government | $39,594 | $19.04 |
| 6 | Utilities | $39,551 | $19.01 |
High paying truck operator jobs
Truck operator salary trends
The average truck operator salary has risen by $7,732 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average truck operator earned $31,876 annually, but today, they earn $39,608 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for truck operators over the last decade.
Compare truck operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average truck operator salary over time
Compare truck operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Truck operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $39,600 | $19.04 | +4.0% |
| 2025 | $38,000 | $18.29 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $36,700 | $17.65 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $35,700 | $17.16 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $34,700 | $16.70 | +2.6% |
Recently added truck operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smurfit Westrock | Clamp Truck Operator-Nights | Dayton, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $50,526 |
| Westrock Company | Clamp Truck Operator-Nights | Dayton, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $50,526 |
| Cowan Systems and Cowan Management | Clamp Truck Operator | Lynchburg, VA | 06/28/2025 | $33,392 |
| Vulcanmat | Haul Truck Operator | Florence, AZ | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| International Paper Company | Clamp Truck Operator-Bonus | Waxahachie, TX | 06/26/2025 | $44,265 |
| Aerotek | Clamp Truck Operator | Richmond, VA | 06/26/2025 | $35,479 |
| City of Augusta | Solid Waste Truck Operator | Augusta, KS | 06/26/2025 | $34,769 |
| AECC | Bucket Truck Operator I-II | Jacksonville, AR | 06/26/2025 | $43,723 |
| Puris Corp | Jet Truck Vactor Operator | Kiowa, CO | 06/26/2025 | $52,175 |
| Aerotek | Haul Truck Operator | Louisville, NE | 06/25/2025 | $56,349 |
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