Truck Driver Ups Driver Payscale

As a current or prospective UPS Delivery Driver, you might be wondering how your pay stacks up against others in your line of work. After all, factors like location and experience can significantly affect your salary. Maybe you’re worried you’re not being paid enough or want to negotiate a new salary. Luckily, this article will address everything you need to know about UPS driver pay. That way, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the payscale and why.

UPS Driver Salary by Percentile

The nationwide average salary for UPS drivers is $56,146 per year or $27 per hour. That’s 65% more than the 2020 U.S. average hourly pay of $16.36 per hour. However, the average isn’t the full story. Here are the average salaries of UPS drivers by percentile:

• 10th Percentile: $36,000 per year ($18.16 per hour)

• 25th Percentile: $42,000 per year ($21.54 per hour)

• 75th Percentile: $67,000 per year ($34.36 per hour)

• 90th Percentile: $76,000 per year ($38.97 per hour)

As these scales show, your pay as a UPS driver can vary by up to $40,000. Of course, this difference in pay isn’t arbitrary, and will typically be based on where you live, your experience, and your qualifications.

UPS Driver Average Salary by State

Given the self-governing nature of all 50 U.S. states, the average salary for workers can vary greatly depending on your location. For example, Massachusetts has the highest average income of $81,123 per year, while Mississippi has the lowest at $41,776. That means the average person in MA makes almost double that of the average person in MI. With that in mind, here is a comprehensive chart of the average UPS delivery driver salary by state:

State	Average UPS Annual Salary	Average UPS Hourly Pay
Washington	$62,505	$30.05
Maryland	$61,709	$29.67
Nebraska	$60,422	$29.05
Virginia	$59,629	$28.67
New York	$59,560	$28.63
Delaware	$57,768	$27.77
New Hampshire	$57,620	$27.70
Oklahoma	$56,158	$27.00
California	$55,951	$26.90
Massachusetts	$55,194	$26.54
Vermont	$54,335	$26.12
Hawaii	$53,433	$25.69
Wyoming	$53,284	$25.62
Idaho	$52,592	$25.28
Connecticut	$51,960	$24.98
Maine	$51,899	$24.95
West Virginia	$51,761	$24.89
Rhode Island	$51,216	$24.62
Texas	$50,950	$24.50
Alaska	$50,914	$24.48
Pennsylvania	$50,885	$24.46
New Jersey	$50,597	$24.33
Montana	$50,538	$24.30
Nevada	$50,513	$24.29
North Dakota	$50,498	$24.28
Arizona	$50,017	$24.05
Indiana	$49,697	$23.89
Minnesota	$49,294	$23.70
Tennessee	$49,247	$23.68
Wisconsin	$49,032	$23.57
South Dakota	$49,023	$23.57
Ohio	$48,890	$23.50
Oregon	$48,264	$23.20
Utah	$48,259	$23.20
Georgia	$48,251	$23.20
Louisiana	$47,806	$22.98
South Carolina	$47,733	$22.95
Colorado	$47,552	$22.86
Kansas	$47,541	$22.86
Alabama	$47,122	$22.65
Iowa	$47,070	$22.63
New Mexico	$46,586	$22.40
Florida	$45,476	$21.86
Kentucky	$45,448	$21.85
Arkansas	$44,646	$21.46
Michigan	$44,626	$21.45
Mississippi	$44,537	$21.41
Illinois	$44,403	$21.35
Missouri	$43,694	$21.01
North Carolina	$40,675	$19.56

In summary, the top ten states with the highest UPS driver salaries include:

1. Washington ($62,505 per year)

2. Maryland ($61,709)

3. Nebraska ($60,422)

4. Virginia ($59,629)

5. New York ($59,560)

6. Delaware ($57,768)

7. New Hampshire ($57,620)

8. Oklahoma $56,158)

9. California ($55,951)

10. Massachusetts ($55,194)

While the states with the lowest average salaries for UPS Drivers include:

1. Alabama ($47,122 per year)

2. Iowa ($47,070)

3. New Mexico ($46,586)

4. Florida ($45,476)

5. Kentucky ($45,448)

6. Arkansas ($44,646)

7. Michigan ($44,626)

8. Mississippi ($44,537)

9. Illinois ($44,403)

10. Missouri ($43,694)

11. North Carolina ($40,675)

These results show that if you’re a UPS truck driver looking to make as high of a salary as possible, your location can have a big impact. For instance, being a driver on the West Coast or Northeast would net you an average salary 50% higher than what you’d make in the Midwest or Southeast.

UPS Driver Hourly Pay by Experience

As mentioned, your experience as a UPS driver will greatly impact how much you can expect to be paid. This is important to remember if you become a driver so you don’t feel uneasy about your starting pay. In the end, your pay will more than likely increase over time, in accordance with these averages:

Experience	Hourly Pay (Current Contract)	Hourly Pay (Tentative Contract)
New	$18.75	$21.00
12 Months	$19.50	$23.00
24 Months	$21.00	$24.00
36 Months	$25.00	$28.75

As shown by this chart, your hourly pay as a UPS driver will increase by an average by a higher percentage each year. For example, for those paid on current contracts, the average pay increase at the end of their first year would be 4%. However, between years two and three, that pay increase would jump by an average of 19%. Overall, the average UPS driver can expect their salary to increase by between 33-37% after three years of consecutive experience.

Top 10 Cities for UPS Drivers

Going even further than the state level, individual cities can also offer better or worse salaries, regardless of their location. To understand which cities would offer you the best possible pay as a UPS driver, here are the top ten U.S. cities by the job’s average salary:

1. Richmond, CA ($68,700 per year)

2. Stamford, CT ($66,896)

3. Bellevue, WA ($66,745)

4. Lakes, AK ($64,404)

5. San Francisco, CA ($64,388)

6. Palmdale, CA ($63,696)

7. Santa Clara, CA ($63,454)

8. Hartford, CT ($63,329)

9. Pasadena, CA ($63,098)

10. Glendale, CA ($62,727)

Interestingly, of the top ten cities with the highest UPS driver salaries, six of them are in California (60%), and two of them are in Connecticut (20%). Additionally, a city in Arkansas is number four on the list, despite the fact that it’s the state with the sixth-lowest average salary for UPS drivers overall.

What Is a UPS Driver?

UPS drivers are delivery drivers who are employed by UPS — a large truck delivery company. Similar to other delivery drivers, the job’s typical responsibilities include:

• Driving specific routes in trucks or cars

• Delivering packages safely to customers

• Maintaining a timely schedule

• Contacting customers

• Reporting to managers

• Returning vehicles to a designated hub

This job is available anywhere across the U.S., and job listings can easily be found on a number of job boards or on the UPS website. Although, do keep in mind that prospective drivers must pass a UPS package car driving test and a clean driving record to qualify for work.

UPS Driver Payscale FAQs

1. What is the top pay for a UPS driver?

   The top pay for a UPS driver is just over $80,000 per year. This is even higher than the 90th percentile of earners, whose pay averages at $76,000 per year ($38.97 per hour). It’s important to note that being in the 90th percentile means this pay is extremely uncommon, and only the top 10% of earners will receive it. To earn this high of pay as a UPS driver, you would need to be highly experienced, qualified, and in a location that pays higher than average. That’s because the average pay for a UPS driver is $56,146, or 30% less than the highest possible income.

2. Is being a UPS delivery driver worth it?

   Whether or not being a UPS delivery driver is worth it depends on your goals, desired income, and other factors. For example, if you’d like to earn a considerable amount more than the average American with minimal education requirements, this job could be an excellent fit. However, if you have family or enjoy a certain level of work-life balance, becoming a UPS driver may not be the best decision. These workers are on the road constantly and are known to regularly pick up forced overtime. Such conditions can make it very difficult to spend time with your family or simply have time for yourself.

3. What does 22.4 mean at UPS?

   22.4 workers are combination workers that take on hybrid work at UPS. The job is technically full-time but does not require workers to work Saturday or Sunday. In general, all 22.4 drivers are guaranteed 8 hours of work per day on a five-day weekly schedule. While the work of a 22.4 driver is similar to that of an RPCD (preparing, loading, and delivering packages), it’s important to note that the starting pay can be up to $5 per hour lower. On average, 22.4 drivers have a starting pay of $20.50 per hour, which can reach a top rate of $34.79 per hour.

4. Do you get raises at UPS?

   Yes, you will get raises at UPS. These raises are typically on a yearly basis and, while small, can amount to a large increase over time. Year to year, you can expect to see your pay increase by $0.25-$1.00. However, it is worth noting that your hourly pay may also grow exponentially over time. For example, for those paid on current contracts, the average pay increase at the end of their first year can be around 4%. However, between years two and three, that pay increase can jump to an average of 19%.

Final Thoughts

Knowing the average salary of a UPS driver can be an important way to gauge your current income or to identify if you’d want to become one. Overall, the average UPS driver makes just over $56,000 per year, with the bottom 10% of earners making $36,000 or less and the top 10% of earners making $76,000 or more. Whether or not you land closer to the bottom or the top of this range is dependent on several factors, including location, experience, and qualifications. Overall, if you have a lot of free time and are looking to make a decent amount of money with minimal education requirements, becoming a UPS driver might just be the perfect job for you.