Occupations · Transportation and Material Moving
Light Truck Drivers
Drive a light vehicle, such as a truck or van, with a capacity of less than 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), primarily to pick up merchandise or packages from a distribution center and deliver. May load and unload vehicle.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 53-3033.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 83% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $46,870 | 57,980 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,330 | 42,600 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $47,270 | 36,380 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $44,630 | 22,620 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $41,540 | 20,760 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $45,030 | 20,190 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $44,800 | 17,330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $49,300 | 17,080 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $43,690 | 17,040 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $48,040 | 16,480 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,210 | 14,050 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $44,560 | 13,990 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Obey traffic laws and follow established traffic and transportation procedures.
- Report any mechanical problems encountered with vehicles.
- Verify the contents of inventory loads against shipping papers.
- Inspect and maintain vehicle supplies and equipment, such as gas, oil, water, tires, lights, or brakes, to ensure that vehicles are in proper working condition.
- Read maps and follow written or verbal geographic directions.
- Turn in receipts and money received from deliveries.
- Load and unload trucks, vans, or automobiles.
- Present bills and receipts and collect payments for goods delivered or loaded.
- Maintain records, such as vehicle logs, records of cargo, or billing statements, in accordance with regulations.
- Drive vehicles with capacities under three tons to transport materials to and from specified destinations, such as railroad stations, plants, residences, offices, or within industrial yards.
- Use and maintain the tools or equipment found on commercial vehicles, such as weighing or measuring devices.
- Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations to bases or other vehicles, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2023-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2023-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 3
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| delivery driver | 8322.2 | close |
| cargo vehicle driver | 8332.2 | broader |
| moving truck driver | 8332.7 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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