--- title: "How Much Do Delivery Drivers Make? BLS Pay Data Explained | NetMentors" description: "How much delivery drivers make, from BLS May 2025 data: median pay for light truck and driver/sales workers, best-paying industries and ways to earn more." --- [Career Guides](https://netmentors.com/category/career-guides/) # How Much Do Delivery Drivers Make? BLS Pay Data Explained By the [NetMentors Editorial Team](https://netmentors.com/about/) Delivery drivers who are employees earn a median of $44,860 a year if they are light truck drivers and $38,770 a year if they are driver/sales workers, according to May 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay depends heavily on who you drive for: couriers and wholesalers pay more than retail and restaurants. App-based gig drivers are a separate case with no equivalent federal wage figure. This guide breaks down the numbers, what the job demands, and how to choose the better-paying version of it. ## Two Kinds of Delivery Driver in the BLS Data The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups most local delivery work under one Occupational Outlook Handbook profile, [Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/delivery-truck-drivers-and-driver-sales-workers.htm), which covers two occupations: - **[Light truck drivers](https://netmentors.com/careers/light-truck-drivers/)** drive vans and small trucks to pick up and deliver packages and goods. This is the parcel van, the appliance delivery, the parts run. - **[Driver/sales workers](https://netmentors.com/careers/driversales-workers/)** deliver and also sell or take orders on their route: think beverage, bakery, linen or food-service routes, plus restaurant delivery drivers who are on the payroll. Heavy tractor-trailer drivers, who need a commercial licence, are a separate occupation and are not covered here. ## Delivery Driver Pay: The Numbers All figures are BLS medians and percentiles for May 2025. | May 2025 | Light truck drivers | Driver/sales workers | |---|---|---| | Median annual pay | $44,860 | $38,770 | | Lowest 10% earned less than | $30,800 | $22,590 | | Highest 10% earned more than | $80,310 | $59,980 | | Jobs (2025) | about 1,068,500 | about 442,900 | | Projected growth, 2025–35 | 6% | 8% | For context, the median for all occupations in May 2025 was $50,980. Light truck driving sits a little below that; the top tenth of drivers earn well above it. ### Who you drive for matters BLS publishes median pay by the industries that employ the most drivers. The spread is wide: - **Light truck drivers:** couriers and messengers $47,700; wholesale trade $44,740; retail trade $34,350. - **Driver/sales workers:** wholesale trade $49,090; transportation and warehousing $45,690; retail trade $36,640; food services and drinking places $30,580. The practical lesson is that a wholesale or courier route is likely to pay more than delivering for a store or restaurant. A driver/sales worker on a wholesale route had a median about $18,500 higher than one in food service. ## What About Gig Delivery Apps? Drivers who deliver through apps as independent contractors are not employees, so the BLS wage survey above does not describe their pay. Gig earnings depend on the platform's pay formula, tips, how many hours you can work at busy times, and your own vehicle costs (fuel, insurance, maintenance and depreciation), which an employee driver usually does not pay. The trade-off is flexibility against protections. An employee driver typically gets a vehicle, a set route and wage-and-hour protections; a contractor gets to choose hours but covers costs and handles their own taxes. This comparison of [pay and protection differences between gig apps and agency work](https://russellstaffinginc.com/gig-work-vs-temp-agency-work-key-differences-in-pay-taxes-and-worker-protections/) is worth reading before you choose between an app and a seasonal agency driving job. ## How to Become a Delivery Driver According to the Handbook, the entry requirements are modest: - **Education:** a high school diploma or equivalent is typical, though some jobs do not require one. - **Licence:** a state driver's licence and a clean driving record. Applicants must pass a state vision test. - **Training:** usually one month or less of on-the-job training, covering routes, loading, handheld scanners and company procedures. Because the bar is low, your driving record is your main competitive asset. Tickets and accidents are a real barrier to hiring with established fleets. ## What the Job Is Really Like The Handbook says most delivery drivers work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week. Drivers on regular routes may start very early or finish late, and often work weekends and holidays. The peak season, November through the new year, is the heaviest period for parcel delivery. Expect: - Repeated lifting, carrying and climbing in and out of the vehicle - Working in all weather - Time pressure from route targets and delivery windows - A lot of independence once you are on the road The independence suits people who like working alone. The physical load is the part that ends careers early, so take lifting technique and rest seriously from day one. ## Ways to Earn More as a Driver 1. **Move to a better-paying industry.** Courier and wholesale routes pay more at the median than retail or restaurant delivery. 2. **Take a sales route.** Driver/sales roles in wholesale combine driving with account management, and the top earners in that group are the ones who grow their route. 3. **Get a commercial driver's licence.** Moving up to heavy and tractor-trailer trucking is the most common step up in pay. BLS lists heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers among the 20 occupations with the most projected new jobs from 2025 to 2035, with a 2025 median of $58,640 ([BLS, Most New Jobs](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/most-new-jobs.htm)). 4. **Move into dispatch or supervision.** Drivers who know the routes and the customers are natural candidates for dispatcher and route supervisor roles. ## Questions to Ask Before You Accept a Driving Job Two delivery jobs with the same hourly rate can be very different in practice. Before you accept, ask: - **Am I an employee or a contractor?** This decides who pays for fuel, insurance and vehicle wear, and which wage-and-hour protections apply. - **How is the route set, and how many stops is a typical day?** A route that is routinely too long becomes unpaid stress or unsafe driving. - **What happens in peak season?** Ask about expected hours from November through the holidays and whether overtime is paid. - **Is there a path to a sales route, dispatch or a CDL?** Employers that train drivers for heavier vehicles or account work offer a real ladder. - **Whose vehicle is it?** A company vehicle removes most of the cost risk from you. Write the answers down and compare offers side by side. The higher hourly rate is not always the better job once costs and hours are counted. ## Is Delivery Driving a Good Job? It is a solid, accessible job with steady demand. BLS projects about 152,700 openings a year across the two occupations over the decade, and employment growth of 6 to 8 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5 percent projected for all jobs. It is a good fit if you like working alone, are comfortable with physical work and have a clean licence. It is a weaker fit if you want a desk job eventually and are not building towards one. If you are using delivery work as a bridge after losing a job, our guide to [recovering professionally after a layoff](https://netmentors.com/how-to-recover-professionally-after-a-layoff/) covers how to keep your longer-term search moving while you earn. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How much do delivery drivers make a year? In May 2025, the BLS median was $44,860 a year for light truck drivers and $38,770 for driver/sales workers. The top 10 percent of light truck drivers earned more than $80,310. ### Do you need a CDL to be a delivery driver? Not for most local van and light truck delivery jobs. BLS lists a state driver's licence and a clean driving record as the requirement. A commercial driver's licence is needed for heavier trucks, which is a separate occupation with higher median pay. ### Which delivery driving jobs pay the most? Among the industries BLS lists, couriers and messengers paid light truck drivers the most ($47,700 median), and wholesale trade paid driver/sales workers the most ($49,090 median), as of May 2025. ### Do delivery drivers work holidays? Often, yes. BLS notes that drivers on regular routes often work weekends and holidays, and the holiday shopping season is the peak period for parcel delivery. ### Is delivery driving a growing field? Yes, modestly. BLS projects 6 percent growth for light truck drivers and 8 percent for driver/sales workers from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5 percent for all jobs. ### Related Articles [Is Warehouse Work a Good Career? 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BLS May 2025 pay, 2025-35… This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional career advice. Occupational data sourced from O\*NET and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "How Much Do Delivery Drivers Make? 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