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Drive a light vehicle, such as a truck or van, with a capacity of less than 26,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), primarily to deliver or pick up merchandise or to deliver packages. May load and unload vehicle. Excludes "Couriers and Messengers" (43-5021) and "Driver/Sales Workers" (53-3031).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 877,670 | 0.7 % | $17.12 | $35,610 | 0.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $9.43 | $11.32 | $15.12 | $20.85 | $29.39 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $19,610 | $23,550 | $31,450 | $43,370 | $61,120 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 167,460 | 28.14 | $25.10 | $52,210 |
| Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores | 64,830 | 11.71 | $11.11 | $23,110 |
| Truck Transportation | 41,390 | 2.86 | $18.76 | $39,020 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | 41,270 | 4.36 | $16.89 | $35,140 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 33,970 | 0.32 | $11.39 | $23,680 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery | 29,710 | 44.26 | $16.74 | $34,820 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 167,460 | 28.14 | $25.10 | $52,210 |
| Florists | 9,920 | 15.52 | $12.16 | $25,290 |
| Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores | 64,830 | 11.71 | $11.11 | $23,110 |
| Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 30,400 | 9.11 | $13.49 | $28,050 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postal Service (federal government) | 2,160 | 0.34 | $26.55 | $55,230 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 167,460 | 28.14 | $25.10 | $52,210 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 130 | 0.02 | $23.14 | $48,130 |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | (8) | (8) | $21.55 | $44,830 |
| Rail Transportation | 230 | 0.10 | $20.73 | $43,110 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 103,760 | 6.21 | 1.01 | $18.63 | $38,760 |
| Texas | 65,380 | 5.50 | 0.89 | $16.59 | $34,510 |
| Florida | 54,000 | 6.41 | 1.04 | $16.19 | $33,670 |
| New York | 46,000 | 5.00 | 0.81 | $17.76 | $36,950 |
| Illinois | 45,550 | 7.68 | 1.25 | $17.73 | $36,890 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 3,700 | 8.04 | 1.31 | $16.22 | $33,740 |
| Maryland | 21,260 | 7.98 | 1.30 | $18.13 | $37,710 |
| Louisiana | 15,050 | 7.91 | 1.28 | $15.78 | $32,810 |
| Rhode Island | 3,660 | 7.69 | 1.25 | $16.54 | $34,390 |
| Illinois | 45,550 | 7.68 | 1.25 | $17.73 | $36,890 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1,860 | 5.85 | 0.95 | $20.75 | $43,160 |
| North Dakota | 2,310 | 5.55 | 0.90 | $19.26 | $40,050 |
| Washington | 18,710 | 5.87 | 0.95 | $19.03 | $39,580 |
| Massachusetts | 21,160 | 6.00 | 0.97 | $18.84 | $39,180 |
| Minnesota | 15,550 | 5.48 | 0.89 | $18.75 | $39,010 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 36,240 | 5.41 | 0.88 | $18.59 | $38,670 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 28,230 | 6.37 | 1.03 | $18.78 | $39,060 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 27,300 | 7.45 | 1.21 | $18.95 | $39,420 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 15,510 | 5.92 | 0.96 | $18.36 | $38,180 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 14,720 | 5.03 | 0.82 | $17.06 | $35,490 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 13,850 | 5.56 | 0.90 | $18.42 | $38,320 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 12,530 | 4.97 | 0.81 | $18.11 | $37,670 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 12,060 | 8.40 | 1.36 | $19.11 | $39,760 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 11,460 | 5.79 | 0.94 | $18.30 | $38,070 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 10,780 | 7.92 | 1.29 | $17.76 | $36,930 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls, MT | 540 | 15.16 | 2.46 | $12.84 | $26,700 |
| Muskegon, MI | 840 | 13.66 | 2.22 | $14.09 | $29,310 |
| Dothan, AL | 740 | 13.12 | 2.13 | $15.38 | $31,990 |
| Bangor, ME | 810 | 12.50 | 2.03 | $15.00 | $31,200 |
| Monroe, LA | 960 | 12.49 | 2.03 | $13.54 | $28,160 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 1,280 | 12.43 | 2.02 | $18.49 | $38,450 |
| Kankakee, IL | 540 | 12.22 | 1.98 | (8) | (8) |
| Florence, SC | 1,000 | 11.82 | 1.92 | $12.66 | $26,330 |
| Mansfield, OH | 590 | 11.72 | 1.90 | $20.14 | $41,900 |
| Racine, WI | 860 | 11.53 | 1.87 | $13.04 | $27,120 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longview, WA | 210 | 5.76 | 0.93 | $23.71 | $49,310 |
| Merced, CA | 280 | 4.07 | 0.66 | $22.31 | $46,410 |
| Fairbanks, AK | 200 | 5.39 | 0.88 | $22.22 | $46,220 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 330 | 6.71 | 1.09 | $21.02 | $43,710 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 6,090 | 5.45 | 0.89 | $20.71 | $43,080 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 3,800 | 3.49 | 0.57 | $20.42 | $42,480 |
| Anchorage, AK | 1,240 | 7.16 | 1.16 | $20.42 | $42,470 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 270 | 7.22 | 1.17 | $20.17 | $41,950 |
| Mansfield, OH | 590 | 11.72 | 1.90 | $20.14 | $41,900 |
| Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division | 1,500 | 9.61 | 1.56 | $20.06 | $41,720 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 2,200 | 6.62 | 1.07 | $15.36 | $31,950 |
| Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 1,990 | 8.59 | 1.40 | $14.57 | $30,300 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 1,820 | 10.87 | 1.77 | $16.58 | $34,480 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 1,820 | 10.57 | 1.72 | $15.58 | $32,410 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 1,710 | 6.76 | 1.10 | $12.67 | $26,350 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Parish, Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 14.21 | 2.31 | $14.29 | $29,730 |
| Upper Eastern Shore of Maryland nonmetropolitan area | 600 | 12.62 | 2.05 | $15.39 | $32,020 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 1,390 | 11.70 | 1.90 | $16.44 | $34,190 |
| Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | 650 | 11.25 | 1.83 | $18.26 | $37,970 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 1,820 | 10.87 | 1.77 | $16.58 | $34,480 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 210 | 2.92 | 0.47 | $23.80 | $49,500 |
| Southwest Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 3.29 | 0.53 | $22.70 | $47,220 |
| Central Washington nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 3.98 | 0.65 | $22.59 | $46,980 |
| Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 5.27 | 0.86 | $21.86 | $45,480 |
| East Washington nonmetropolitan area | 320 | 5.26 | 0.85 | $21.70 | $45,130 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018