Jetted FoxCareers · Driving & delivery
Light truck drivers
Drives a van or small truck to deliver packages or goods to homes, stores and businesses on a daily route. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $13.56/hr in West Virginia to $23.37/hr in Alaska.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $13.03–15.09/hr | $18.50/hr |
| Alaska | $17.89–23.37/hr | $27.50/hr |
| Arizona | $16.66–18.94/hr | $21.70/hr |
| Arkansas | $13.03–14.79/hr | $17.83/hr |
| California | $17.67–20.27/hr | $22.50/hr |
| Colorado | $17.90–20.76/hr | $23.28/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.35–17.94/hr | $21.39/hr |
| Delaware | $15–16.65/hr | $21.15/hr |
| Florida | $14.36–17.88/hr | $20.10/hr |
| Georgia | $13.47–17.25/hr | $21.18/hr |
| Hawaii | $16.70–18.24/hr | $22.08/hr |
| Idaho | $15.36–18.38/hr | $21.33/hr |
| Illinois | $15.93–19.15/hr | $22.78/hr |
| Indiana | $14.10–17.83/hr | $21.42/hr |
| Iowa | $14.23–17.83/hr | $20.56/hr |
| Kansas | $13.18–17.65/hr | $21.03/hr |
| Kentucky | $12.88–16.11/hr | $20.78/hr |
| Louisiana | $12.18–14.85/hr | $18.96/hr |
| Maine | $15.06–16.44/hr | $21.42/hr |
| Maryland | $16.21–18.44/hr | $23.15/hr |
| Massachusetts | $16.68–19.64/hr | $23.13/hr |
| Michigan | $14.17–17.10/hr | $20.67/hr |
| Minnesota | $15.14–19.12/hr | $23.50/hr |
| Mississippi | $12.44–14.96/hr | $18.34/hr |
| Missouri | $14.12–17.58/hr | $21.88/hr |
| Montana | $16.09–17.82/hr | $22.32/hr |
| Nebraska | $14.28–17.92/hr | $21.21/hr |
| Nevada | $15.03–18.48/hr | $21.04/hr |
| New Hampshire | $14.73–18.62/hr | $22.24/hr |
| New Jersey | $16.71–19.71/hr | $22.51/hr |
| New Mexico | $14.71–16.70/hr | $20.37/hr |
| New York | $16.38–18.94/hr | $22.27/hr |
| North Carolina | $12.73–15.74/hr | $19.19/hr |
| North Dakota | $16.23–18.24/hr | $23.05/hr |
| Ohio | $13.20–16.21/hr | $20.48/hr |
| Oklahoma | $12–14.75/hr | $19.15/hr |
| Oregon | $17.64–20.37/hr | $22.67/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $13.25–16.90/hr | $21.21/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15–17.22/hr | $21.95/hr |
| South Carolina | $11.30–14.34/hr | $18.12/hr |
| South Dakota | $13.23–16.46/hr | $20.79/hr |
| Tennessee | $14.03–18.34/hr | $21.66/hr |
| Texas | $13.52–16.73/hr | $20.43/hr |
| Utah | $16.33–19.09/hr | $22.05/hr |
| Vermont | $14.77–16.82/hr | $21.68/hr |
| Virginia | $13.82–16.91/hr | $20.41/hr |
| Washington | $18.22–21.59/hr | $23.59/hr |
| Washington, DC | $18.22–22.08/hr | $23.72/hr |
| West Virginia | $11.52–13.56/hr | $18.68/hr |
| Wisconsin | $14.59–18.37/hr | $21.96/hr |
| Wyoming | $13.24–16.30/hr | $21.05/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You load your van at a warehouse in the morning and deliver anywhere from dozens to over 100 stops a day. You scan each package, carry it to the door and keep moving to finish the route on time. Weather, traffic and heavy packages set the pace. Some drivers run a route for a bread, snack or drink company: they stock store shelves and take new orders, and part of their pay can depend on sales.
The good parts
Quick hiring and short training. Most of the day without a boss next to you. Leads to UPS or FedEx driver jobs or a CDL career.
The hard parts
Tight delivery targets mean rushing all day with few breaks. Heat, cold and rain, with lots of lifting and stairs. Peak season brings long days and weekend shifts.
Where it leads
drivers move to well-paid union package driver jobs, CDL truck driving, dispatcher or route supervisor within a few years.
Quick answers
Do light truck drivers need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for light truck drivers?
1–3 weeks of paid training.
How much do light truck drivers make?
About $14.81–17.92 an hour to start and $21.57 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Similar careers
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.