The average salary for a Truck Driver in New York is 59,929 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 4,994 $ gross per month and 28.81 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 38,889 $ to 93,333 $. The analysis is based on 33 salary reports from workers and employers in New York. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/25/2026 | Entry-Level CDL Driver (Full-time) | 40.0 h | 42,000 $ | 42,000 $ | 3,500 $ | 20.19 $ | I recently finished training and work full-time as an entry-level CDL driver for a small distribution company. I have under a year of experience and work a straight 40-hour schedule. |
| 06/20/2026 | Urban Delivery Driver (Contractor) | 40.0 h | 52,000 $ | 52,000 $ | 4,333 $ | 25.00 $ | I'm contracted for urban deliveries across NYC working for various short-term contracts. My gross is dependable around this level and I average 40 hours weekly. |
| 06/10/2026 | Specialist CDL Driver (Temperature-Controlled Freight) | 40.0 h | 69,000 $ | 69,000 $ | 5,750 $ | 33.17 $ | I specialize in temperature-controlled freight for pharmaceutical and food accounts. The extra care and certifications bump my pay; I work a standard 40-hour week. |
| 05/06/2026 | High-Mileage Long-Haul Driver | 42.0 h | 77,000 $ | 73,333 $ | 6,111 $ | 35.26 $ | I handle high-mileage long-haul accounts and receive mileage-based pay plus incentives. With several years experience, my reported gross is in the mid 70s and my workweek averages 42 hours. |
| 03/22/2026 | Senior Fleet Manager (Former Driver) | 43.0 h | 98,000 $ | 91,163 $ | 7,597 $ | 43.83 $ | I moved up into fleet management after many years behind the wheel. I manage routes and drivers for a regional company and still drive occasionally; my schedule is about 43 hours per week. |
| 02/03/2026 | Part-time CDL Driver (Weekend) | 18.0 h | 34,000 $ | 75,556 $ | 6,296 $ | 36.32 $ | I work weekends only as a CDL driver for a local distributor while holding another job during weekdays. I average around 18 hours weekly, which explains the lower annual gross. |
| 10/20/2025 | Local Night Driver | 38.5 h | 61,000 $ | 63,377 $ | 5,281 $ | 30.47 $ | I work night shifts doing local deliveries in the city for a medium-sized provider. Night differentials raised my pay a bit; I average about 38.5 hours per week. |
| 07/05/2025 | Independent Owner-Operator (High Demand) | 44.0 h | 94,000 $ | 85,455 $ | 7,121 $ | 41.08 $ | I run an independent operation focusing on time-sensitive contracts out of NYC. With high demand and negotiated rates, gross annual earnings approach mid-high 90s and I put in long weeks around 44 hours. |
| 04/11/2025 | Specialized Freight Driver | 40.0 h | 86,000 $ | 86,000 $ | 7,167 $ | 41.35 $ | I transport oversized and specialized freight requiring certifications. Because of the skill and risk, my compensation is above typical driver pay; I work about 40 hours per week. |
| 01/29/2025 | Fleet Supervisor (Driver Background) | 42.0 h | 78,000 $ | 74,286 $ | 6,190 $ | 35.71 $ | I supervise a small fleet and occasionally drive routes. I transitioned into this management role after many years driving and now work around 42 hours weekly with supervisory responsibilities. |
| 11/13/2024 | Part-time Relief Driver | 32.0 h | 36,000 $ | 45,000 $ | 3,750 $ | 21.63 $ | I work as a relief driver on a part-time basis filling in for full-time staff. I average about 32 hours per week and have been in this role for three years. |
| 08/30/2024 | Local Delivery Driver (Large Retail Contract) | 40.0 h | 66,000 $ | 66,000 $ | 5,500 $ | 31.73 $ | I moved to a large retail contract delivering goods across NYC. After a promotion and higher market rates, I make more than earlier in my career and work a standard 40-hour schedule. |
| 05/17/2024 | Interstate Driver (Experienced) | 42.0 h | 72,000 $ | 68,571 $ | 5,714 $ | 32.97 $ | I drive interstate for a large national carrier and have ten years experience. My pay increased with demand and fuel adjustments; I average about 42 hours a week. |
| 02/26/2024 | Senior Owner-Operator | 45.0 h | 105,000 $ | 93,333 $ | 7,778 $ | 44.87 $ | I've run my own operation for over a decade, taking on high-paying contracts and subcontract work. Gross earnings are over 100k before expenses, and I often work up to 45 hours a week managing drives and paperwork. |
| 11/09/2023 | Courier Driver (Part-time) | 26.5 h | 32,000 $ | 48,302 $ | 4,025 $ | 23.22 $ | I do part-time courier driving through weekdays and some weekends for a courier cooperative. I've worked here two years and average about 26.5 hours weekly. |
| 08/01/2023 | Short-Haul Driver (Union) | 38.0 h | 58,000 $ | 61,053 $ | 5,088 $ | 29.35 $ | I work short-haul runs under a union contract. I've been with this employer four years and typically work 38 hours per week with good overtime protections. |
| 04/25/2023 | Local Lead Driver | 40.0 h | 60,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I'm the lead driver at a small distribution center and mentor newer hires. I have eight years experience and work full-time 40 hours with occasional extra shifts. |
| 01/18/2023 | Hazmat CDL Driver | 40.0 h | 70,000 $ | 70,000 $ | 5,833 $ | 33.65 $ | I hold hazmat endorsements and handle specialized freight for a medium-sized logistics firm. After six years in this role, my salary reflects the extra qualifications and I work a standard 40-hour week. |
| 09/03/2022 | Part-time City Driver | 30.0 h | 30,000 $ | 40,000 $ | 3,333 $ | 19.23 $ | I picked up a part-time driving role with a small delivery company while pursuing school. I average about 30 hours a week and have been here a year. |
| 06/09/2022 | Owner-Operator (Independent) | 44.0 h | 82,000 $ | 74,545 $ | 6,212 $ | 35.84 $ | I'm an owner-operator doing regional and occasional long-haul runs out of NY. After grossing rates and before taxes, my annual is in the low 80s and I work long weeks, usually around 44 hours. |
| 02/17/2022 | Private Contract Driver (Full-time) | 40.0 h | 52,000 $ | 52,000 $ | 4,333 $ | 25.00 $ | I'm on a private contract driving heavy goods for a corporate client. I've been here two years and it's steady 40 hours a week with predictable routes. |
| 10/28/2021 | Fleet Trainer / Experienced Driver | 40.0 h | 64,000 $ | 64,000 $ | 5,333 $ | 30.77 $ | I train new drivers and run routes occasionally at a large regional carrier. I have nine years in the field and am paid higher due to training responsibilities. I work about 40 hours weekly. |
| 07/14/2021 | Local Freight Driver | 38.0 h | 45,000 $ | 47,368 $ | 3,947 $ | 22.77 $ | I drive for a mid-sized freight company in NYC. I'm mid-level with seven years experience and average about 38 full-time hours per week. |
| 03/06/2021 | Senior Long-Haul Driver | 42.0 h | 58,000 $ | 55,238 $ | 4,603 $ | 26.56 $ | I've been a long-haul driver over a decade and handle cross-country routes for a major carrier. My weekly hours are roughly 42 including layover and loading time. |
| 11/12/2020 | Part-time Delivery Driver | 25.0 h | 28,000 $ | 44,800 $ | 3,733 $ | 21.54 $ | I work part-time delivering parcels in Manhattan for a small local company. I've been doing this three years and average about 25 hours weekly, which is reflected in my pay. |
| 09/30/2020 | Interstate CDL Driver | 40.0 h | 51,000 $ | 51,000 $ | 4,250 $ | 24.52 $ | I've been an interstate driver for a large carrier for six years. My schedule is fairly steady at 40 hours per week, sometimes more when rerouted. |
| 04/14/2020 | Owner-Operator (Small Truck) | 45.0 h | 62,000 $ | 55,111 $ | 4,593 $ | 26.50 $ | I'm self-employed as an owner-operator doing local and regional contracts. After expenses and subcontracting some work, my gross annual is around this and I usually put in long weeks averaging 45 hours. |
| 11/21/2019 | Local Food Delivery Driver (CDL) | 35.0 h | 39,000 $ | 44,571 $ | 3,714 $ | 21.43 $ | I deliver refrigerated goods for a medium grocery distributor. I'm mid-level with five years experience and generally work a 35-hour full-time schedule. |
| 09/07/2019 | Long-Haul Driver | 42.0 h | 47,000 $ | 44,762 $ | 3,730 $ | 21.52 $ | I do long-haul interstate routes out of NY. I have about three years' experience and usually work closer to 42 hours a week including loading/unloading time. |
| 12/19/2018 | Regional Delivery Driver | 40.0 h | 42,000 $ | 42,000 $ | 3,500 $ | 20.19 $ | I've been a regional delivery driver for four years at a medium-sized carrier. My runs are mostly multistate but short regional loops, and I average 40 hours weekly. |
| 06/30/2018 | Local CDL Driver | 38.0 h | 37,000 $ | 38,947 $ | 3,246 $ | 18.72 $ | I drive a box truck for local deliveries in Queens. I'm relatively new (about 18 months) and work full-time around 38 hours per week. |
| 11/03/2017 | City Shuttle Driver | 36.0 h | 35,000 $ | 38,889 $ | 3,241 $ | 18.70 $ | I'm an entry-level city shuttle/trailer driver for a small logistics firm. I've been here two years and typically work 36 hours a week doing local runs and short-haul pickups. |
| 08/12/2016 | Local Delivery Driver (CDL B) | 20.0 h | 30,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I work part-time delivering packages in Brooklyn with a small courier company. I've been doing this for about a year and work roughly 20 hours per week on weekdays. |
New York City is one of the country’s most complex freight markets, and truck drivers play a central role in keeping it running. From port drayage to last‑mile deliveries and food distribution, drivers in New York, New York, support an enormous flow of goods moving between warehouses in New Jersey and Staten Island, the airports at JFK and LaGuardia, and dense retail and residential neighborhoods across the five boroughs. Employers in the metro area often report steady hiring needs, especially for safe urban drivers familiar with local routes, early-morning schedules, and tight delivery windows.
Demand in the city is shaped by several factors: continued e‑commerce growth; the “re-shoring” of some inventory to East Coast ports; ongoing construction and infrastructure work; and the year-round restaurant and grocery trade. The Port of New York and New Jersey remains among the busiest in the nation, and the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the Bronx—one of the largest of its kind—creates constant inbound and outbound traffic. As freight flows have shifted toward the East Coast in recent years, many carriers in the New York area have expanded local and regional routes to keep pace.
Truck driving in New York City typically centers on local and regional work rather than long-haul. Common roles include local pick-up and delivery (P&D), LTL linehaul between area terminals, drayage from Port Newark–Elizabeth and the New York Container Terminal on Staten Island, beverage and foodservice delivery, parcel distribution, and specialized hauling for construction materials, fuel, and waste.
City operating conditions are unique. Drivers navigate congestion, limited parking, and strict truck-route rules. Trucks are prohibited from most parkways due to low clearances, and 53-foot trailers are generally limited to interstate highways and specific designated routes; many city deliveries rely on day cabs with shorter trailers or straight trucks. Off‑hour and overnight deliveries are common to avoid daytime gridlock. New York City also enforces anti‑idling rules (stricter near schools), and port work may require participation in clean‑truck programs. For certain assignments, employers may prefer applicants with a TWIC card for port access or airport SIDA clearance for cargo operations at JFK.
Hiring managers in the five boroughs and northern New Jersey frequently seek CDL‑A or CDL‑B drivers with strong defensive driving skills, customer service experience for store and restaurant deliveries, and comfort with physically demanding work (particularly in foodservice and beverage). Endorsements such as H, N, or X can expand opportunities with tankers and hazardous materials.
Examples of organizations that often recruit truck drivers in New York City include:
Many of these employers operate on union and non‑union models, and Teamsters locals in the metro area often represent parcel, freight, and certain private sanitation or beverage drivers.
Truck drivers in New York, New York, can pursue several career paths. New entrants often start in non‑CDL or CDL‑B roles (straight trucks, box trucks, or sanitation) and progress to CDL‑A positions in LTL, regional linehaul, or port drayage. Specializations—refrigerated freight, tanker, hazmat, or construction materials—can broaden prospects. Experienced city drivers may move into trainer, dispatcher, yard hostler, or terminal operations roles.
Practical steps that can help candidates stand out include learning NYC’s designated truck routes and bridge/parkway restrictions, obtaining relevant endorsements, and gaining familiarity with scanner/telematics systems used in P&D and last‑mile work. For port or airport assignments, TWIC and SIDA credentials are valuable. The Workforce1 Industrial & Transportation Career Center in Queens and private CDL schools around the metro area often connect qualified drivers with local openings and can advise on employer requirements.
Overall, the outlook for truck drivers in New York City is generally strong. Freight volumes tied to ports, airports, and dense urban consumption create consistent need for reliable professionals who can operate safely in tight spaces, communicate well with customers, and handle early‑morning or overnight deliveries. Candidates who combine clean driving records with local route knowledge and the right endorsements typically find a steady flow of opportunities across the five boroughs and nearby New Jersey.
The average salary for a Truck Driver in New York is 59,929 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 4,994 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Truck Driver and the city overview for New York. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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