Key Factors That Influence Driver Operator Salaries
A Driver Operator's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Driver Operator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Driver Operator's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $39,658
Early Career (1-2 years): $39,986
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $40,445
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $41,225
Expert (over 8 years): $42,463
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Driver Operator
$39,658
Intermediate Level Driver Operator
$39,986
Senior Level Driver Operator
$40,445
Specialist Level Driver Operator
$41,225
Expert Level Driver Operator
$42,463
$39,6580 yr
$39,986< 2 yrs
$40,4452-4 yrs
$41,2255-8 yrs
$42,463> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Driver Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Driver Operators.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $45,850.
California: $45,676.
Massachusetts: $45,068.
District of Columbia$45,850
California$45,676
Massachusetts$45,068
Washington$44,902
New Jersey$44,885
Alaska$44,827
Connecticut$44,256
New York$44,024
Hawaii$43,283
Rhode Island$42,935
Maryland$42,699
Minnesota$42,376
Colorado$42,252
Illinois$42,210
Oregon$42,053
Delaware$41,937
New Hampshire$41,864
Virginia$41,701
Pennsylvania$41,225
Nevada$40,984
North Dakota$40,906
Michigan$40,782
Wisconsin$40,736
Vermont$40,645
Texas$40,392
Maine$40,376
Arizona$40,351
Ohio$40,322
Georgia$39,941
Indiana$39,750
Wyoming$39,713
Utah$39,655
Iowa$39,630
Kansas$39,432
Louisiana$39,374
North Carolina$39,353
Missouri$39,345
Florida$39,183
Montana$39,096
Nebraska$39,013
Kentucky$38,968
South Carolina$38,802
Tennessee$38,699
Idaho$38,657
New Mexico$38,355
Oklahoma$38,289
Alabama$38,044
South Dakota$37,634
Arkansas$37,411
West Virginia$37,291
Mississippi$36,930
Top Paying Cities for Driver Operators
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $52,232
San Francisco: $51,660
Oakland: $50,571
San Jose, CA$52,232
San Francisco, CA$51,660
Oakland, CA$50,571
New York, NY$47,680
Paramus, NJ$47,100
Queens Village, NY$47,098
Passaic, NJ$47,059
Bergenfield, NJ$47,055
Stamford, CT$46,964
Huntington, NY$46,947
Newark, NJ$46,641
Bridgeport, CT$46,554
Vallejo, CA$46,471
New Brunswick, NJ$46,455
Petaluma, CA$46,430
Middlesex, NJ$46,351
Somerset, NJ$46,322
Santa Cruz, CA$46,269
Boston, MA$46,016
Monterey, CA$45,871
Seattle, WA$45,776
Santa Rosa, CA$45,767
Los Angeles, CA$45,755
Juneau, AK$45,647
Washington, DC$45,602
Orange, CA$45,454
Santa Ana, CA$45,345
Long Beach, CA$45,304
Anaheim, CA$45,295
Anchorage, AK$45,275
Santa Maria, CA$45,150
Everett, WA$45,142
Danbury, CT$44,996
Bremerton, WA$44,939
Tacoma, WA$44,790
New Suffolk, NY$44,789
Sacramento, CA$44,778
Santa Barbara, CA$44,732
Trenton, NJ$44,687
San Diego, CA$44,687
Brockton, MA$44,641
Fairbanks, AK$44,540
Lompoc, CA$44,434
Lowell, MA$44,400
Ventura, CA$44,393
Nashua, NH$44,384
Stockton, CA$44,380
Modesto, CA$44,078
Poughkeepsie, NY$43,987
Olympia, WA$43,908
Kennewick, WA$43,908
New Haven, CT$43,892
Lawrence, MA$43,742
Hartford, CT$43,701
Riverside, CA$43,693
New Bedford, MA$43,651
Richland, WA$43,651
Bakersfield, CA$43,593
San Bernardino, CA$43,577
New Britain, CT$43,573
Atlantic City, NJ$43,573
New London, CT$43,556
Norwich, CT$43,544
Portsmouth, NH$43,535
Boulder, CO$43,448
Portland, OR$43,390
Worcester, MA$43,386
Minneapolis, MN$43,258
Philadelphia, PA$43,200
Honolulu, HI$43,063
Saint Paul, MN$43,043
Vineland, NJ$43,034
Providence, RI$42,914
Chicago, IL$42,794
Bellingham, WA$42,744
Springfield, MA$42,711
Baltimore, MD$42,699
Chico, CA$42,595
Pittsfield, MA$42,484
Manchester, NH$42,405
Spokane, WA$42,223
Denver, CO$42,219
Albany, NY$42,024
Troy, NY$42,007
Nassau, NY$41,963
Schenectady, NY$41,920
Wilmington, DE$41,887
Burlington, VT$41,829
Salem, OR$41,813
Portland, ME$41,684
Yakima, WA$41,643
Rochester, MN$41,515
Reno, NV$41,494
Fresno, CA$41,494
Milwaukee, WI$41,457
Detroit, MI$41,415
Ann Arbor, MI$41,408
Allentown, PA$41,403
Colorado Springs, CO$41,332
Syracuse, NY$41,312
Carson City, NV$41,312
Houston, TX$41,254
Eugene, OR$41,233
Gary, IN$41,183
Springfield, OR$41,150
Bismarck, ND$41,142
Galveston, TX$41,113
Medford, OR$41,051
Fort Collins, CO$41,034
Concord, NH$41,013
Austin, TX$41,001
Mesa, AZ$40,914
Reading, PA$40,910
Phoenix, AZ$40,906
Dallas, TX$40,893
Saint Cloud, MN$40,854
Madison, WI$40,798
Utica, NY$40,686
Rochester, NY$40,620
Des Moines, IA$40,616
Raleigh, NC$40,612
Atlanta, GA$40,550
Battle Creek, MI$40,537
Salt Lake City, UT$40,525
Lancaster, PA$40,463
Harrisburg, PA$40,405
Kansas City, MO$40,363
Champaign, IL$40,355
Kansas City, KS$40,355
Fort Worth, TX$40,351
Columbus, OH$40,344
Boca Raton, FL$40,334
Pittsburgh, PA$40,318
Richmond, VA$40,301
Indianapolis, IN$40,293
Cleveland, OH$40,289
Las Vegas, NV$40,239
Cincinnati, OH$40,239
Petersburg, VA$40,177
Huntsville, AL$40,115
Lansing, MI$40,087
Lebanon, PA$40,082
Pueblo, CO$40,078
Appleton, WI$40,065
Buffalo, NY$40,049
Dayton, OH$40,036
Racine, WI$40,028
Charlotte, NC$40,024
Saint Louis, MO$40,011
York, PA$39,986
Elkhart, IN$39,986
Gastonia, NC$39,979
Billings, MT$39,969
Beaumont, TX$39,957
Lorain, OH$39,949
Benton Harbor, MI$39,941
Toledo, OH$39,933
Binghamton, NY$39,912
Rock Hill, SC$39,908
Rockford, IL$39,887
Springfield, IL$39,871
Elyria, OH$39,866
Fargo, ND$39,866
Flagstaff, AZ$39,837
Fort Lauderdale, FL$39,813
Duluth, MN$39,788
Miami, FL$39,788
Cheyenne, WY$39,759
Grand Forks, ND$39,759
Bangor, ME$39,668
Cedar Rapids, IA$39,622
Durham, NC$39,605
Louisville, KY$39,601
Grand Rapids, MI$39,593
Hialeah, FL$39,589
Casper, WY$39,531
Scranton, PA$39,481
New Orleans, LA$39,469
Virginia Beach, VA$39,465
Akron, OH$39,444
Peoria, IL$39,390
Sarasota, FL$39,382
Nashville, TN$39,353
Omaha, NE$39,353
Green Bay, WI$39,353
Baton Rouge, LA$39,332
Charleston, SC$39,324
Jamestown, NY$39,303
Davenport, IA$39,303
Tucson, AZ$39,282
Saint Petersburg, FL$39,258
Tampa, FL$39,249
Evansville, IN$39,224
Port Arthur, TX$39,224
Bradenton, FL$39,208
Santa Fe, NM$39,133
Orlando, FL$39,059
Clearwater, FL$39,046
Canton, OH$38,959
La Crosse, WI$38,959
Albuquerque, NM$38,935
Newport News, VA$38,930
High Point, NC$38,918
Ogden, UT$38,901
Corpus Christi, TX$38,868
Norfolk, VA$38,844
Laramie, WY$38,844
Rock Island, IL$38,819
Saginaw, MI$38,810
Jacksonville, FL$38,806
Salisbury, NC$38,798
Boise, ID$38,790
Moline, IL$38,769
Fort Myers, FL$38,757
Memphis, TN$38,748
Tulsa, OK$38,728
Waterloo, IA$38,703
Spartanburg, SC$38,661
Lincoln, NE$38,641
Fort Wayne, IN$38,632
Provo, UT$38,628
Cedar Falls, IA$38,578
San Antonio, TX$38,562
Greensboro, NC$38,545
South Bend, IN$38,541
Savannah, GA$38,496
Muskegon, MI$38,479
Birmingham, AL$38,475
Winston Salem, NC$38,455
Lake Charles, LA$38,355
Anderson, IN$38,347
Lexington, KY$38,334
Augusta, GA$38,322
Greenville, SC$38,322
Lima, OH$38,289
Wichita, KS$38,284
Tuscaloosa, AL$38,284
Columbia, SC$38,247
Springfield, OH$38,239
Asheville, NC$38,173
Bloomington, IN$38,144
Knoxville, TN$37,995
Shreveport, LA$37,990
Wilmington, NC$37,937
Roanoke, VA$37,937
Topeka, KS$37,862
Frankfort, KY$37,858
Oklahoma City, OK$37,829
Chillicothe, OH$37,812
Longview, TX$37,808
Melbourne, FL$37,804
Sioux Falls, SD$37,738
Mobile, AL$37,734
Terre Haute, IN$37,717
Altoona, PA$37,692
Amarillo, TX$37,663
Killeen, TX$37,651
Fayetteville, AR$37,618
Chattanooga, TN$37,605
Sioux City, IA$37,568
Idaho Falls, ID$37,560
Lynchburg, VA$37,527
Gainesville, FL$37,473
Portsmouth, OH$37,452
Little Rock, AR$37,444
Lafayette, LA$37,427
Youngstown, OH$37,427
Daytona Beach, FL$37,402
Clarksville, TN$37,398
Pensacola, FL$37,394
Temple, TX$37,391
Hopkinsville, KY$37,270
Erie, PA$37,262
Florence, SC$37,245
Charleston, WV$37,179
Great Falls, MT$37,158
Macon, GA$37,100
Tallahassee, FL$37,096
Fayetteville, NC$37,088
Waco, TX$37,079
Helena, MT$37,050
Pine Bluff, AR$37,035
Vincennes, IN$36,984
Lubbock, TX$36,968
Alamogordo, NM$36,943
Twin Falls, ID$36,905
Rapid City, SD$36,893
Jackson, MS$36,819
Huntington, WV$36,816
Greenville, MS$36,814
Parkersburg, WV$36,772
Montgomery, AL$36,765
Wichita Falls, TX$36,723
Springfield, MO$36,723
Biloxi, MS$36,703
Monroe, LA$36,661
Johnstown, PA$36,632
Sumter, SC$36,616
Columbus, GA$36,611
Pascagoula, MS$36,533
Abilene, TX$36,533
Kingsport, TN$36,425
Albany, GA$36,425
Gulfport, MS$36,413
Alexandria, LA$36,276
Fort Smith, AR$36,173
El Paso, TX$36,061
Las Cruces, NM$35,874
Harlingen, TX$35,769
Pocatello, ID$35,763
Florence, AL$35,709
Brownsville, TX$35,700
Mcallen, TX$35,613
Dothan, AL$35,555
Columbus, MS$35,310
Altus, OK$35,117
Lawton, OK$35,038
Pierre, SD$34,889
What Skills Can Increase a Driver Operator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 23.47% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Retail Industry (Mentioned in 3.16% Job Postings): The retail industry consists of all companies that sell goods and services to consumers. There are many different retail sales and store types worldwide, including grocery, convenience, discounts, independents, department stores, DIY, electrical and speciality.
Wholesale (Mentioned in 1.96% Job Postings): Buying and selling products in large quantities at a lower price to increase profitability through a high sales volume.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Customer Service
23.47%
Retail Industry
3.16%
Wholesale
1.96%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Driver Operator's salary.
Organizing: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Service Delivery: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Work Ethic: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Organizing
$47,209
14%
Service Delivery
$44,724
8%
Work Ethic
$44,310
7%
Container
$43,896
6%
Technical Skills
$43,896
6%
Cash Management
$43,482
5%
Get Latest Data
Driver Operator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Driver Operator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and MFG Durable
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 15% above the average.
In contrast, Driver Operator positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Driver Operator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Driver Operator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities
$47,623
$23.0
15%
MFG Durable
$46,380
$22.0
12%
Construction
$45,552
$22.0
10%
Aerospace & Defense
$45,138
$22.0
9%
Internet
$44,724
$22.0
8%
How Education impacts a Driver Operator's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Driver Operators enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Driver Operator with a No Diploma is between
$36,215
and $38,777).
Driver Operator Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Driver Operator
No Diploma6.6%
High School71.4%
Associates11.0%
Bachelors9.9%
Masters1.1%
Doctorate1.1%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
6.6%
High School
71.4%
Associates
11.0%
Bachelors
9.9%
Masters
1.1%
Doctorate
1.1%
view as graph
Driver Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Driver Operator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Driver Operator can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $48,547 in 2023
to around $46,939 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Driver Operator salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Driver Operator Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$48,547
2024
$47,450
2025
$46,939
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$48,547
2024
$47,450
2025
$46,939
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Driver Operator
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Driver Operator
Here are companies hiring for Driver Operator and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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