The Average Truck Driver's Salary

Truck drivers' salaries vary depending on the type of truck they drive.

Drivers of tractor-trailer trucks and those with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 26,000 pounds or more earn about $8,000 more per year, on average, than drivers of light trucks and delivery vans with a GVW of less than 26,000 pounds.

Tractor-Trailer Drivers

Drivers of tractor-trailer trucks or those with a GVW of 26,000 pounds or more earned average, or mean, wages of $18.87 per hour or $39,260 per year, according to May 2009 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Salaries ranged from $34,634 to $53,001, according to a PayScale survey of 8,565 truck driver that was updated in October 2010.

Light Delivery Drivers

Light and delivery service drivers of trucks and vans with a GVW of less than 26,000 pounds earned an average of $14.96 per hour or $31,120 per year, according to the BLS. Their annual salaries ranged from $25,447 to $43,707, according to a PayScale survey of 3,353 people in this occupation, updated October 2010.

Top Employers

General freight trucking was the top industry for tractor-trailer and heavy truck drivers, employing 551,630 at an average annual salary of $41,010, the BLS reports. Courier and express delivery services were by far the largest employer of light and delivery truck drivers, paying an average annual salary of $45,780 to 134,650 employees.

Best-Paying States

Alaska was the best-paying state or territory for light and delivery truck drivers in May 2009, BLS figures show, with an average annual salary of $36,170. Alaska also topped the list for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers' salaries, at an average of $49,480 per year.

References

• Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2009:Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor Trailer
• Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2009:Truck Drivers, Light or Delivery Services
• PayScale:Average Salary of a Truck Driver, Truck Driver Wages
• PayScale:Truck Driver, Light or Delivery Services Wages, Hourly Wage Rates