A career in truck driving has many benefits: no extensive post-secondary education required, a short training time, a good supply of jobs, and the potential for lucrative pay are key benefits that draw people to the industry. But, exactly how much can you expect to earn? The good thing is, there is an abundance of readily available data that you can compare against to see if you are getting paid enough.
The Data
If you search, “truck driver salaries”, you will get countless internet articles and reports, many of which can offer up some conflicting information and very different pay scales. The best research and reports to rely on are those from reputable organizations. So, here’s a look, by country:
Canada
Employment sites are a good place to start when it comes to salary research. Glassdoor is a great resource to use for average base pay. We researched “long haul truck driver” salaries in Canada and found the average to be $60,000/year, with the low sitting at $50,000/year and the high at $76,000/year. Indeed puts the average salary of a long-haul driver at $24.57/hour, or $51,105/year.
Government or non-profit sites are another great place to check. WorkBC’s site puts “transport truck driver” salaries for BC at an average of $50,960/year.
United States
US employment sites also offer up some reliable numbers. Indeed puts “long haul truck driver” salaries in the US at an average of $72,085/year. ZipRecruiter puts the national average at $67,315/year, with the low sitting at $44,000/year and the high at $99,000/year.
As for government sites, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics puts the average pay for 2018 at $43,680/year. This is a lot less than what the employment sites are reporting. So, which one is more accurate? Well, the Bureau’s number is sourced from a survey called the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey that includes wages in the major industries employing the occupation. It does not include pay for self-employed workers, agriculture workers, or workers in private households; that data is not collected by OES survey. In addition, employment site statistics often draw from a smaller sample. Indeed only reports from about 6,000 anonymous sources, and ZipRecruiter does not show how many reports they are receiving. So, it might be safe to say that the actual average for the United States is somewhere in between the employment site reports and the BLS reports.
Key Takeaways From Research
Don’t rely on one site or source. Look at how many reports are submitted, and keep in mind that there may be a lot of variance depending on region. The research online is a good place to start, but also talk to any industry contacts you may have. These steps will make sure you have an accurate picture of wages, which will translate into realistic expectations.
