Truck drivers earn their living by driving a truck and transporting paving materials, construction supplies, dirt, or garbage to and from various locations.
Life as a dump truck driver can be demanding and rewarding at the same time. Learn about a dump truck driver’s salary annually, hourly, and even across the 50 states in the United States.
Table of contents
What Does A Dump Truck Driver Do?
Dump truck drivers transport paving materials, construction supplies, dirt, or garbage to and from various locations. According to Betterteam, they drive trucks equipped with open beds that allow for the transportation of dirt, rocks, sand, coal, or gravel.
Being part of the heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver career category, they operate large trucks with open, hydraulic beds and transport loose material such as dirt, gravel, sand, and coal.
As a dump truck driver, you are a key part of most large construction and demolition projects. You may be responsible for hauling soil, rock, debris, or even hazardous materials to and from the work sites. Some dump truck drivers may stay on-site for the duration of the project, while others are only called in when there are items to be moved to the work location or off the site.
To become a dump truck driver jobs require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and a high school diploma.
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How Much Does A Dump Truck Driver Make?
The estimated total pay for a Dump Truck Driver is $73,279 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $61,948 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries input by users on Glassdoor.
Average Salary of A Dump Truck Driver
According to Zippia, the average annual salary of a dump truck driver is $50,000. Indeed reports that the average salary for a dump truck driver is $54,663 per year in the United States.
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Hourly/Regional Salary Of A Dump Truck Driver
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor, the average hourly wage for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $22.52 per hour in 2019 with an average annual salary of $46,850. Indeed also reports that the average hourly wage for dump truck drivers specifically was around $23.45 per hour in 2023 and with a high potential to increase in coming years.
Dump truck driver compensation is the highest in the northeastern sections of the United States. Statistics from Indeed showed that salaries were higher in New York and Massachusetts than those in the South, Midwest, and West. California dump truck drivers earn more than in surrounding states, with annual salaries of $48,450 compared to $48,060 in Pennsylvania and $46,760 in Ohio, in second and third place.
What Is The Average Dump Truck Driver Salary by State
According to a ZipRecruiter, Washington comes top of the list of dump truck driver salaries by state with $47,604 annually.
| State | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $47,604 | $3,967 | $915 | $22.89 |
| Maryland | $46,814 | $3,901 | $900 | $22.51 |
| Virginia | $45,452 | $3,788 | $874 | $21.85 |
| New York | $45,266 | $3,772 | $870 | $21.76 |
| Delaware | $44,598 | $3,716 | $858 | $21.44 |
| Nebraska | $44,378 | $3,698 | $853 | $21.34 |
| California | $43,147 | $3,596 | $830 | $20.74 |
| Idaho | $42,998 | $3,583 | $827 | $20.67 |
| New Hampshire | $42,673 | $3,556 | $821 | $20.52 |
| Vermont | $42,080 | $3,507 | $809 | $20.23 |
| Oklahoma | $41,923 | $3,494 | $806 | $20.16 |
| Massachusetts | $41,653 | $3,471 | $801 | $20.03 |
| Hawaii | $40,869 | $3,406 | $786 | $19.65 |
| Nevada | $40,830 | $3,402 | $785 | $19.63 |
| Montana | $40,575 | $3,381 | $780 | $19.51 |
| New Jersey | $40,570 | $3,381 | $780 | $19.50 |
| Maine | $40,451 | $3,371 | $778 | $19.45 |
| Arizona | $40,213 | $3,351 | $773 | $19.33 |
| Tennessee | $39,751 | $3,313 | $764 | $19.11 |
| Connecticut | $39,682 | $3,307 | $763 | $19.08 |
| Wyoming | $39,667 | $3,306 | $763 | $19.07 |
| Rhode Island | $39,295 | $3,275 | $756 | $18.89 |
| Alaska | $39,138 | $3,261 | $753 | $18.82 |
| Indiana | $38,648 | $3,221 | $743 | $18.58 |
| Oregon | $38,587 | $3,216 | $742 | $18.55 |
| Minnesota | $38,531 | $3,211 | $741 | $18.52 |
| North Dakota | $38,368 | $3,197 | $738 | $18.45 |
| West Virginia | $38,312 | $3,193 | $737 | $18.42 |
| Texas | $38,100 | $3,175 | $733 | $18.32 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,464 | $3,122 | $720 | $18.01 |
| Wisconsin | $36,762 | $3,063 | $707 | $17.67 |
| Ohio | $36,611 | $3,051 | $704 | $17.60 |
| Iowa | $36,442 | $3,037 | $701 | $17.52 |
| South Dakota | $36,369 | $3,031 | $699 | $17.49 |
| Utah | $36,036 | $3,003 | $693 | $17.32 |
| Colorado | $35,931 | $2,994 | $691 | $17.27 |
| South Carolina | $35,831 | $2,986 | $689 | $17.23 |
| Alabama | $35,187 | $2,932 | $677 | $16.92 |
| New Mexico | $35,157 | $2,930 | $676 | $16.90 |
| Arkansas | $35,155 | $2,930 | $676 | $16.90 |
| Kansas | $34,683 | $2,890 | $667 | $16.67 |
| Michigan | $34,537 | $2,878 | $664 | $16.60 |
| Mississippi | $34,208 | $2,851 | $658 | $16.45 |
| Florida | $34,196 | $2,850 | $658 | $16.44 |
| Kentucky | $33,998 | $2,833 | $654 | $16.35 |
| Illinois | $33,533 | $2,794 | $645 | $16.12 |
| Missouri | $32,977 | $2,748 | $634 | $15.85 |
| Georgia | $32,709 | $2,726 | $629 | $15.73 |
| Louisiana | $31,120 | $2,593 | $598 | $14.96 |
| North Carolina | $30,096 | $2,508 | $579 | $14.47 |
Highest Paying Cities For Dump Truck Drivers
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green River, WY | $51,964 | $4,330 | $999 | $24.98 |
| Richmond, CA | $51,468 | $4,289 | $990 | $24.74 |
| Stamford, CT | $50,869 | $4,239 | $978 | $24.46 |
| Bellevue, WA | $50,581 | $4,215 | $973 | $24.32 |
| Belgrade, MT | $49,981 | $4,165 | $961 | $24.03 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $49,367 | $4,114 | $949 | $23.73 |
| San Francisco, CA | $48,495 | $4,041 | $933 | $23.32 |
| Hartford, CT | $48,201 | $4,017 | $927 | $23.17 |
| Elk Grove, CA | $48,133 | $4,011 | $926 | $23.14 |
| Gillette, WY | $48,113 | $4,009 | $925 | $23.13 |
Highest Paying Industries For Dump Truck Drivers
Here’s a tabular representation of the highest paying industries for dump truck drivers as presented on zippia.com
| Industry | Average Truck Driver Salary |
|---|---|
| Technology | $49,311 |
| Transportation | $49,113 |
| Manufacturing | $48,849 |
| Construction | $48,566 |
| Energy | $48,528 |
| Professional | $44,664 |
Highest Paying Companies For Dump Truck Drivers
| Company | Salary per hour |
| JACK GRAY TRANSPORT | $35.91 |
| WESTERN MATERIALS | $33.92 |
| R & J TRUCKING, INC. | $30.60 |
| SOUTHERN HAULERS, LLC. | $29.09 |
| Corliss Resources | $28.83 |
FAQs On Dump Truck Drivers
The average annual salary of a dump truck driver in the United States is $50,000.
Dump truck drivers use large commercial vehicles to load, transport, and unload materials that are commonly used in construction projects.
To become a dump truck driver, you need to earn a high school diploma or equivalent and complete a program designed to prepare you to sit for the commercial driver’s license (CDL) exam, which has both written and practical components.
A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required to drive a dump truck.
Yes, successful truck drivers get paid well.
Conclusion
To be successful as a dump truck driver, you should be able to pick up and deliver materials according to a schedule. Ultimately, the highest-earning dump truck driver is one that performs all duties in accordance with company safety rules and Department of Transportation (DOT) road safety regulations.
References
- zippia.com – Average Dump Truck Driver Salary
- work.chron.com – What Is the Hourly Wage for a Dump Truck Driver?
- ziprecruiter.com – Dump Truck Driver Salary
- betterteam.com – Dump Truck Driver Job Description
- glassdoor.com – Dump Truck Driver Overview
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