Truck Driver Statistics
Driver pay, jobs and workforce profile from BLS and Census public data.
Pay and job counts are BLS OEWS (May 2025) and cover wage-and-salary workers only — self-employed drivers and owner-operators are excluded. Workforce demographics are Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS survey estimates. Trucking employment is monthly BLS data for all truck transportation payroll jobs, not drivers only. None of these is a live hiring feed.
2,062,040
Wage & salary, BLS OEWS May 2025
$58,640
$28/hr · OEWS May 2025
1,488.2K
2026-09 · +0.11% vs. same month last year (all roles, NSA)
46
9% women · 14.4% self-employed (ACS 2024)
Pay by driver type
Annual wage distribution, national. 10th–90th percentile shows the spread from entry-level to top earners.
| Driver type | Jobs | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy & tractor-trailer (CDL-A) | 2,062,040 | $40,140 | $47,960 | $58,640 | $69,120 | $79,380 | $59,710 |
| Light truck | 983,300 | $30,800 | $37,270 | $44,860 | $52,310 | $80,310 | $48,770 |
| Driver/sales | 409,180 | $22,590 | $30,200 | $38,770 | $49,000 | $59,980 | $40,730 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Driver pay and jobs by state
Click a column to sort. Jobs per 1,000 and location quotient show where driver jobs are most concentrated relative to all jobs.
Highest median pay
Most concentrated (jobs per 1,000 workers)
| Alaska | 3,420 | 10.5 | 0.79 | $48,080 | $70,100 | $69,520 | $90,610 |
| Washington | 40,530 | 11.4 | 0.86 | $50,010 | $64,760 | $68,230 | $87,500 |
| District of Columbia | 830 | 1.2 | 0.09 | $51,500 | $64,170 | $67,710 | $84,000 |
| New Jersey | 47,980 | 11.2 | 0.84 | $47,950 | $63,570 | $66,770 | $90,310 |
| Massachusetts | 30,890 | 8.5 | 0.64 | $47,080 | $63,030 | $63,570 | $78,480 |
| Nevada | 15,010 | 9.7 | 0.73 | $45,860 | $62,290 | $65,010 | $83,090 |
| New York | 63,700 | 6.6 | 0.50 | $47,880 | $62,050 | $65,780 | $88,100 |
| Minnesota | 38,770 | 13.1 | 0.99 | $45,910 | $61,990 | $63,630 | $81,830 |
| Oregon | 23,970 | 12.2 | 0.92 | $47,700 | $61,980 | $64,080 | $81,220 |
| Colorado | 25,350 | 8.8 | 0.67 | $47,010 | $61,500 | $63,650 | $80,570 |
| North Dakota | 11,870 | 27.6 | 2.08 | $47,990 | $60,910 | $63,330 | $83,330 |
| Vermont | 3,560 | 11.7 | 0.88 | $48,900 | $60,830 | $61,100 | $74,700 |
| Utah | 25,060 | 14.4 | 1.09 | $44,320 | $60,620 | $60,900 | $76,360 |
| Connecticut | 15,740 | 9.3 | 0.70 | $47,160 | $60,490 | $61,980 | $77,360 |
| Illinois | 84,200 | 13.8 | 1.04 | $39,710 | $60,320 | $62,430 | $86,300 |
| Wyoming | 6,050 | 21.6 | 1.63 | $45,860 | $60,310 | $63,180 | $84,670 |
| Indiana | 59,090 | 18.5 | 1.39 | $42,060 | $60,290 | $60,950 | $79,000 |
| New Hampshire | 6,960 | 10.2 | 0.77 | $47,370 | $60,280 | $60,600 | $74,200 |
| California | 205,090 | 11.3 | 0.85 | $41,830 | $60,230 | $62,020 | $81,960 |
| Rhode Island | 3,620 | 7.2 | 0.55 | $45,600 | $60,190 | $59,660 | $75,120 |
| Hawaii | 4,070 | 6.5 | 0.49 | $47,480 | $59,820 | $60,850 | $74,530 |
| Ohio | 83,060 | 15.0 | 1.13 | $43,670 | $59,800 | $60,660 | $77,650 |
| Maryland | 29,150 | 10.5 | 0.80 | $43,670 | $59,360 | $60,590 | $79,130 |
| Kansas | 24,220 | 16.8 | 1.27 | $43,760 | $58,920 | $60,480 | $78,910 |
| Montana | 7,830 | 15.3 | 1.15 | $46,040 | $58,870 | $59,180 | $74,120 |
| Idaho | 15,920 | 18.6 | 1.40 | $43,360 | $58,770 | $59,160 | $77,120 |
| South Dakota | 6,470 | 14.2 | 1.07 | $41,590 | $58,690 | $58,550 | $78,610 |
| Tennessee | 64,890 | 19.8 | 1.49 | $39,960 | $58,620 | $60,440 | $83,280 |
| Wisconsin | 53,330 | 18.1 | 1.37 | $44,920 | $58,610 | $58,890 | $76,380 |
| Pennsylvania | 87,550 | 14.4 | 1.09 | $43,560 | $58,580 | $59,640 | $78,330 |
| Nebraska | 23,160 | 22.6 | 1.70 | $40,150 | $58,390 | $60,070 | $81,790 |
| Arizona | 40,150 | 12.4 | 0.93 | $42,580 | $58,080 | $58,870 | $76,550 |
| Iowa | 35,040 | 22.5 | 1.69 | $42,390 | $58,070 | $60,070 | $77,910 |
| Delaware | 9,040 | 18.6 | 1.41 | $46,850 | $57,590 | $57,380 | $69,770 |
| Michigan | 60,800 | 13.8 | 1.04 | $40,280 | $57,180 | $56,370 | $73,980 |
| Georgia | 74,840 | 15.3 | 1.15 | $38,150 | $57,050 | $57,780 | $77,900 |
| Maine | 9,980 | 15.6 | 1.18 | $40,810 | $57,050 | $55,980 | $71,100 |
| Virginia | 48,750 | 11.9 | 0.89 | $38,180 | $56,860 | $57,770 | $77,040 |
| Kentucky | 31,760 | 15.9 | 1.20 | $38,670 | $56,340 | $59,870 | $85,630 |
| Texas | 209,680 | 14.9 | 1.12 | $38,150 | $56,290 | $57,990 | $79,400 |
| Missouri | 47,760 | 16.3 | 1.23 | $37,860 | $54,550 | $56,830 | $77,510 |
| Oklahoma | 27,840 | 16.3 | 1.23 | $37,420 | $54,410 | $57,670 | $80,330 |
| Alabama | 36,650 | 17.3 | 1.31 | $38,240 | $52,120 | $56,230 | $77,620 |
| Mississippi | 24,160 | 20.8 | 1.57 | $35,710 | $51,820 | $55,910 | $79,550 |
| Arkansas | 32,220 | 24.7 | 1.86 | $36,770 | $51,550 | $57,390 | $81,110 |
| North Carolina | 62,400 | 12.6 | 0.95 | $39,400 | $51,530 | $55,810 | $76,360 |
| South Carolina | 34,170 | 14.8 | 1.12 | $39,330 | $51,130 | $55,680 | $77,070 |
| Florida | 112,920 | 11.4 | 0.86 | $37,700 | $50,640 | $54,850 | $74,330 |
| New Mexico | 11,820 | 13.6 | 1.02 | $38,540 | $50,500 | $53,100 | $65,990 |
| West Virginia | 12,190 | 17.4 | 1.31 | $36,350 | $49,480 | $52,440 | $72,230 |
| Louisiana | 28,540 | 14.8 | 1.11 | $36,710 | $49,320 | $51,930 | $68,740 |
| Puerto Rico | 10,480 | 11.2 | 0.84 | $21,840 | $25,510 | $27,390 | $36,050 |
Source: BLS OEWS state estimates, May 2025. A location quotient above 1.0 means the state has a larger share of these driver jobs than the U.S. overall. “—” means BLS suppressed or did not publish the figure.
Metro areas with the most heavy truck drivers
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan estimates, May 2025 (393 metros).
Best-paying metros for heavy truck drivers
Median annual pay, metros with at least 1,000 heavy truck driver jobs.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan estimates, May 2025.
Who employs heavy truck drivers
Largest employing industries and their median pay. Shows the kinds of driving jobs that exist — for-hire trucking, wholesale distribution, parcel, construction materials and more.
| Industry | Heavy driver jobs | Median pay | Mean pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck Transportation | 900,880 | $60,320 | $61,540 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | 102,160 | $61,320 | $63,980 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 99,980 | $60,040 | $65,540 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 93,410 | $60,390 | $63,270 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 74,870 | $57,390 | $57,930 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | 63,580 | $56,970 | $56,820 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 56,120 | $55,720 | $56,680 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | 53,420 | $56,590 | $56,780 |
| Support Activities for Road Transportation | 50,180 | $48,810 | $53,450 |
| Waste Collection | 43,490 | $55,420 | $55,520 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 32,570 | $55,130 | $59,320 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers | 20,040 | $50,350 | $51,870 |
Highest-paying industries (2,000+ heavy driver jobs)
Source: BLS OEWS national industry-specific estimates (4-digit NAICS), May 2025.
Trucking employment trend
Monthly payroll jobs in truck transportation (thousands) and change vs. the same month a year earlier. Not seasonally adjusted, so compare year-over-year rather than month-to-month.
Source: BLS Current Employment Statistics via FRED, series CEU4348400001. Includes all truck transportation employees (drivers, dispatch, mechanics, office), not drivers alone.
Age of drivers and pay by age
ACS does not record years of driving experience; age is shown as the closest available proxy. Pay is median earnings of full-time, year-round drivers.
Source: Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, occupation 9130 (driver/sales workers and truck drivers), survey-weighted.
Employee vs. self-employed
Median full-time earnings: employees $55,839, self-employed $50,763. Self-employed drivers are not necessarily owner-operators.
Source: Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, class of worker.
Education
Source: Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS.
Weekly hours worked
Median usual hours: 40 per week.
Source: Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, usual hours worked per week.
Race and ethnicity
24.9% of drivers are Hispanic or Latino (any race). 7.5% are military veterans.
Source: Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS.
Gender
9% of drivers are women.
Men
$55,839
median full-time earnings
Women
$38,173
median full-time earnings
Source: Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, median earnings of full-time, year-round workers.
Driver workforce by state
Includes self-employed drivers, unlike the BLS pay table above. States with small survey samples are less reliable.
| State | Est. drivers | Median age | Self-employed | Women | Median FT earnings | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 430,798 | 43 | 16% | 7.2% | $54,824 | 3,710 |
| Texas | 409,854 | 44 | 18% | 9.1% | $55,839 | 3,404 |
| Florida | 263,114 | 48 | 17.9% | 9.8% | $48,732 | 1,951 |
| Illinois | 164,100 | 47 | 17.3% | 8.4% | $57,869 | 1,598 |
| Ohio | 161,376 | 47 | 12.8% | 10.2% | $60,915 | 1,500 |
| New York | 160,566 | 44 | 17.1% | 5.4% | $50,763 | 1,606 |
| Pennsylvania | 156,569 | 46 | 11.7% | 8.4% | $59,900 | 1,611 |
| Georgia | 138,470 | 45 | 13% | 13% | $55,839 | 1,225 |
| North Carolina | 134,287 | 48 | 14.7% | 10.6% | $52,793 | 1,132 |
| Michigan | 125,372 | 46 | 12.7% | 10.4% | $54,824 | 1,137 |
| New Jersey | 108,957 | 45 | 15.1% | 6% | $52,793 | 850 |
| Indiana | 98,001 | 49 | 12.4% | 8.7% | $60,915 | 924 |
| Tennessee | 97,313 | 47 | 13.7% | 8.4% | $50,763 | 887 |
| Missouri | 86,100 | 46 | 10.8% | 5.4% | $55,839 | 864 |
| Virginia | 85,029 | 46 | 10.8% | 10.4% | $51,778 | 762 |
| Washington | 80,594 | 44 | 14.3% | 10% | $60,915 | 743 |
| Wisconsin | 78,729 | 49 | 10.4% | 6.3% | $60,915 | 906 |
| Arizona | 78,233 | 45 | 10.2% | 12.2% | $52,793 | 645 |
| Alabama | 70,223 | 47 | 13.2% | 11.2% | $50,763 | 633 |
| Minnesota | 66,612 | 46 | 12.3% | 7.3% | $56,854 | 753 |
| Iowa | 59,666 | 48 | 10.1% | 4.5% | $65,991 | 599 |
| South Carolina | 59,567 | 47 | 17.7% | 13.6% | $50,763 | 552 |
| Louisiana | 59,159 | 44 | 11.8% | 13.1% | $54,824 | 460 |
| Colorado | 58,762 | 42 | 13.2% | 11.8% | $51,778 | 503 |
| Maryland | 54,875 | 45 | 14.9% | 5.3% | $50,763 | 455 |
| Massachusetts | 52,684 | 48 | 14.7% | 7.7% | $55,839 | 474 |
| Kentucky | 52,625 | 45 | 11.3% | 8% | $54,824 | 524 |
| Mississippi | 50,402 | 47 | 12.7% | 9.5% | $50,763 | 433 |
| Oregon | 47,592 | 44 | 10% | 8.7% | $60,915 | 385 |
| Oklahoma | 44,744 | 43 | 17.2% | 14.5% | $50,763 | 471 |
| Nevada | 42,816 | 46 | 12.8% | 15.7% | $50,763 | 355 |
| Arkansas | 39,991 | 48 | 10.5% | 10.7% | $53,808 | 409 |
| Utah | 37,690 | 43 | 11.5% | 8.1% | $58,885 | 368 |
| Kansas | 37,066 | 45 | 15.8% | 10.1% | $56,854 | 374 |
| Connecticut | 36,143 | 44 | 9.2% | 6.8% | $60,915 | 308 |
| Nebraska | 25,982 | 47 | 16.5% | 7.1% | $50,773 | 291 |
| Idaho | 25,655 | 45 | 18.4% | 10.3% | $52,793 | 235 |
| New Mexico | 20,913 | 41 | 10.4% | 6.6% | $50,763 | 158 |
| West Virginia | 20,727 | 46 | 12.3% | 8.1% | $55,839 | 181 |
| Montana | 16,262 | 49 | 16.2% | 18.8% | $61,930 | 122 |
| Maine | 14,991 | 51 | 11.1% | 7.2% | $56,854 | 171 |
| Rhode Island | 13,922 | 42 | 4.4% | 10.8% | $52,793 | 91 (low) |
| South Dakota | 13,271 | 46 | 12.7% | 12.6% | $52,793 | 131 |
| North Dakota | 12,977 | 44 | 12.3% | 12.3% | $57,869 | 136 |
| New Hampshire | 10,319 | 55 | 11.5% | 5.7% | $54,824 | 126 |
| Delaware | 9,450 | 44 | 19.2% | 14.3% | $52,793 | 76 (low) |
| Hawaii | 9,284 | 44 | 9.5% | 7.2% | $57,869 | 106 |
| Wyoming | 5,910 | 47 | 15.1% | 8.5% | $52,793 | 62 (low) |
| Vermont | 5,781 | 49 | 14.4% | 4.9% | $57,869 | 62 (low) |
| Alaska | 4,930 | 35 | 3.5% | 5.8% | $60,915 | 38 (low) |
| District of Columbia | 2,769 | 56 | 18% | 31.1% | $50,763 | 14 (low) |
Source: Census 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, occupation 9130, survey-weighted. Earnings are median full-time, year-round earnings in 2024 dollars.
How drivers are hired
None of these government sources tracks how drivers are recruited (job boards, referrals, schools, recruiters) or posts open positions. What they do show: about 80.3% of drivers work for private companies and 14.4% are self-employed; for-hire trucking employs the most heavy truck drivers, followed by wholesale distribution, parcel delivery and warehousing; and driver jobs are most concentrated in the states with the highest jobs-per-1,000 figures above.
Sources and methodology
- BLS OEWS (May 2025): national, state, metro and industry files for SOC 53-3032, 53-3033 and 53-3031. Excludes self-employed workers. Annual estimates, not a hiring feed.
- FRED CEU4348400001: all employees in truck transportation, thousands, monthly, not seasonally adjusted (BLS CES). Latest month: 2026-09.
- Census ACS PUMS (2024 ACS 1-year PUMS): employed persons in occupation code 9130, which combines driver/sales workers and all truck drivers — broader than the BLS heavy-truck category. Estimates use person weights; incomes are adjusted to 2024 dollars. Public microdata cannot support local or ZIP-level estimates.
Data compiled 2026-10-30.