Working as a delivery driver can take many forms. Those who prefer rural areas can choose to work picking up crops from farms and taking them to markets around their states and beyond their borders.
Drivers who live in the suburbs can work for a delivery service that primarily delivers packages to companies and people’s homes. And those who live in dense urban environments may wish to consider working in food delivery, bringing food from restaurants to people’s homes and offices.
Regardless of what type of deliveries drivers make, wages for their work will vary widely across the United States. However, as of mid-2021, a severe shortage of drivers—particularly in trucking—is causing supply chain issues across the country, and workers may be able to see an increase in wages due to the tightened supply of their labor.
Circuit used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to rank the highest-paying states for delivery drivers by estimated average annual wages, also including the statistics for the total estimated employment of drivers in the state.
Data was taken from three specific occupations as categorized by BLS: driver/sales workers, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and light truck drivers. Data for Delaware’s employment doesn’t include an estimate for driver/sales workers. There are 3,162,630 Americans employed in delivery nationally, with an average hourly wage of $19.08, and an average annual wage of $39,689.
Virginia by the numbers
- Average annual wage: $40,797
- Average hourly wage: $19.61
- Total employment: 78,090
Demand is surging for delivery drivers for the likes of Amazon in Virginia. The e-commerce company has recently opened a massive East Coast hub in the state, which beat out neighboring states to win the contract and the delivery jobs.
States where delivery drivers make the most
- Alaska: $48,893 average annual wage ($23.50 average hourly wage)
- Washington: $46,173 average annual wage ($22.20 average hourly wage)
- Massachusetts: $45,373 average annual wage ($21.81 average hourly wage)
States where delivery drivers make the least
- Mississippi: $35,653 average annual wage ($17.14 average hourly wage)
- South Carolina: $35,833 average annual wage ($17.23 average hourly wage)
- Florida: $36,323 average annual wage ($17.47 average hourly wage)
Download the WAVY News App to keep up with the latest news, weather and sports from WAVY-TV 10. Available in both the Apple and Google Play stores.
