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How Much Does a Light Truck Driver Make?

A light truck driver in the US earns a median salary of $44,860 a year, or $21.57 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $48,770, and the middle half earn between $37,270 and $52,310.

Median a year $44,860
Median an hour $21.57
Median a month $3,738
Average a year $48,770

Light truck driver pay range

What light truck drivers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $30,800 $14.81
25th $37,270 $17.92
Median (50th) $44,860 $21.57
75th $52,310 $25.15
90th (top 10%) $80,310 $38.61

The median is 12% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 983,300 people work as light truck drivers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$863
Every two weeks
$1,725
Twice a month
$1,869
A month
$3,738

At the median salary, before tax.

Light truck driver salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Alaska pays light truck drivers the most, at $62,940 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Alaska $62,940 $57,190 1,790 After tax
Washington $53,520 $49,070 23,290 After tax
California $53,310 $46,790 111,950 After tax
Illinois $53,300 $47,380 47,190 After tax
Maryland $52,930 $48,150 18,420 After tax
Minnesota $52,860 $48,880 17,360 After tax
Colorado $52,270 $48,410 15,810 After tax
North Dakota $51,940 $47,950 1,950 After tax
District of Columbia $51,920 $49,330 540 After tax
Oregon $51,440 $47,150 11,120 After tax
Massachusetts $51,410 $48,110 23,350 After tax
Hawaii $51,340 $45,930 3,690 After tax
Arizona $50,900 $45,140 18,400 After tax
Idaho $50,700 $44,370 7,120 After tax
Montana $50,550 $46,420 2,960 After tax
New York $50,330 $46,330 56,490 After tax
Missouri $50,300 $45,500 16,210 After tax
Maine $49,820 $44,550 3,120 After tax
New Jersey $49,810 $46,820 33,900 After tax
Rhode Island $49,580 $45,660 3,110 After tax
Connecticut $49,430 $44,500 10,720 After tax
Indiana $49,150 $44,560 19,880 After tax
Tennessee $49,120 $45,050 33,710 After tax
Kentucky $48,880 $43,230 15,630 After tax
Nebraska $48,720 $44,120 4,210 After tax
Wisconsin $48,570 $45,670 19,140 After tax
Vermont $48,430 $45,090 2,050 After tax
Georgia $48,290 $44,050 26,050 After tax
New Hampshire $48,040 $46,260 4,670 After tax
Utah $47,920 $45,860 9,930 After tax
Pennsylvania $47,870 $44,120 42,380 After tax
Nevada $47,610 $43,760 9,520 After tax
Texas $46,950 $42,500 78,540 After tax
Mississippi $46,940 $38,140 7,030 After tax
Michigan $46,720 $43,000 26,160 After tax
Iowa $46,700 $42,750 9,680 After tax
Wyoming $46,620 $43,780 1,450 After tax
West Virginia $46,530 $38,860 3,330 After tax
Delaware $46,480 $43,990 4,200 After tax
Kansas $45,930 $43,730 9,140 After tax
Virginia $45,390 $42,450 25,170 After tax
Oklahoma $45,250 $39,840 10,020 After tax
Louisiana $44,940 $39,440 14,300 After tax
Florida $44,580 $41,810 67,390 After tax
Ohio $44,230 $42,600 35,130 After tax
South Dakota $44,100 $43,240 4,820 After tax
Alabama $43,930 $38,490 13,980 After tax
Arkansas $43,670 $37,080 9,340 After tax
New Mexico $43,090 $42,360 4,220 After tax
North Carolina $42,660 $39,910 31,810 After tax
South Carolina $41,510 $37,680 11,950 After tax
Virgin Islands $36,300 $31,180 80
Guam $27,090 $25,100 350
Puerto Rico $26,150 $24,430 5,760

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other transportation and material moving jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Light Truck Drivers” (SOC 53-3033). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a light truck driver make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a light truck driver is $21.57, and the average is $23.45. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $14.81 an hour and the top 10% over $38.61.

How much does a light truck driver make a month?

At the median salary of $44,860, a light truck driver earns about $3,738 a month before tax, or $1,725 every two weeks.

Which state pays light truck drivers the most?

Alaska has the highest average pay for a light truck driver, at $62,940 a year. Next are Washington and California. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a light truck driver?

The lowest-paid 10% of light truck drivers earn less than $30,800 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $37,270. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid light truck drivers make?

The top 10% earn more than $80,310 a year, and the top 25% more than $52,310.