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The national median salary for Light Truck Drivers is $44,866 per year ($21.57/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $37,274 and $52,312 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $80,309 per year. There are approximately 983,300 light truck drivers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Drive a light vehicle, such as a truck or van, with a capacity of less than 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), primarily to pick up merchandise or packages from a distribution center and deliver. May load and unload vehicle.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+7.3%
Faster than average
Annual openings
120K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
1.1M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
7% from new growth93% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Wage range across top 5 industries: $29,850 to $50,390 (69% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$14.81
$30,805
P25
$17.92
$37,274
P50MEDIAN
$21.57
$44,866
P75
$25.15
$52,312
P90
$38.61
$80,309
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average light truck drivers salary?
The national median salary for Light Truck Drivers is $44,866 per year ($21.57/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $37,274 and $52,312 annually.
How much do top-earning light truck drivers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Light Truck Drivers is $80,309 per year ($38.61/hr). The 75th percentile is $52,312 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for light truck drivers?
Entry-level Light Truck Drivers (10th percentile) earn approximately $30,805 per year ($14.81/hr). The 25th percentile is $37,274 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.