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Metro Wage Data · May 2025

Delivery Driver Wages in Washington, DC-VA-MD

16,390 light truck and delivery drivers work in the Washington metro area. The median wage is $22.29/hour 3.3% above the national median of $21.57, ranking #16 of 50 major metros on driver pay.

Median hourly
$22.29
national $21.57
Mean hourly
$24.91
national $23.45
Annualized (median)
$46,363
median × 2,080 hrs
Drivers in metro
16,390
SOC 53-3033

What drivers earn in Washington

The spread matters as much as the median: the 10th-to-90th percentile range is what you compete against when hiring — and what your drivers see when they compare offers.

10th percentile
entry / new drivers
$16.82 · $34,986/yr
25th percentile
$19.58 · $40,726/yr
Median
the market rate
$22.29 · $46,363/yr
75th percentile
$27.10 · $56,368/yr
90th percentile
senior / specialized
$36.62 · $76,170/yr
For Fleet Operators

What a route day actually costs in Washington

Wages aren’t your labor cost. Add payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and benefits (≈27% on top of base pay) and a median-wage driver in Washington runs:

Fully-loaded hourly
$28.31
Per 8.5-hour route day
$241
Per driver, annually
$58,881

Driver pay is typically the largest single line in a last-mile P&L. Run your full cost structure — fuel, payments, maintenance, insurance, and Washington-level wages — through the forecast tool to see where your margin is headed.

Forecast Your Fleet Costs →Plan Fleet Capacity →

Compare driver pay in other metros

Baltimore, MD
$23.11/hr median (+3.7% vs Washington)
Richmond, VA
$20.06/hr median (-10.0% vs Washington)
Virginia Beach–Norfolk, VA-NC
$20.00/hr median (-10.3% vs Washington)
Los Angeles, CA
$22.36/hr median (+0.3% vs Washington)
Sacramento, CA
$22.28/hr median (-0.0% vs Washington)
Salt Lake City, UT
$22.59/hr median (+1.3% vs Washington)
All 50 metros + national trend →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), May 2025Light Truck Drivers (SOC 53-3033), cross-industry estimates for the Washington metro area (CBSA 47900). Retrieved 2026-07-04. This occupation covers drivers of light trucks and delivery vans, including last-mile delivery. Annual figures are hourly × 2,080 hours. Fully-loaded cost assumes ≈27% burden for payroll taxes, workers’ comp, and benefits — Pexara’s standard modeling assumption; your burden varies by state and benefits package.