Driver/Sales Workers Salary: $37,130 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 417,420 driver/sales workers work nationally, and $37,130 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 27% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.4% annual decline.
Driver/Sales Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about driver/sales workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a driver/sales workers?
Driver/Sales Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-3031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 417,420 workers.
What does a driver/sales workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a driver/sales workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $37,130 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $49,239 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,284 |
| 25th percentile | $37,285 |
| Median (50th) | $45,449 |
| 75th percentile | $55,374 |
| 90th percentile | $74,191 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, English Language, Transportation. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is driver/sales workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.4% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -2.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -4.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 417,420.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do driver/sales workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 417,420 | 19.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 415,970 | 19.5% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 183,980 | 8.6% |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | 183,750 | 8.6% |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 179,640 | 8.4% |
| Wholesale Trade | 99,460 | 4.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Driver/Sales Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 219,010 | $84,130 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,113,160 | $47,320 |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | 190,600 | $56,320 |
| Marketing Managers | 384,980 | $161,030 |
| Sales and Related Workers, All Other | 99,070 | $46,370 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 888,770 | $34,220 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,187,460 | $42,010 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Driver/Sales Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
417,420 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Driver/Sales Workers shrank from 149,620 in 2009 to 139,740 in 2025 (6.6%).
Historical employment for Driver/Sales Workers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$37,130 Median pay (BLS national)
Driver/Sales Workers earn $37,130 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Driver/Sales Workers.
Salary distribution for Driver/Sales Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
136,788 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -2.1%
133,899 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -4.2%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Driver/Sales Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Driver/Sales Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Driver/Sales Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Driver/Sales Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Driver/Sales Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Driver/Sales Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 38,930 employees, $36,980 avg wage
- CA: 35,220 employees, $48,070 avg wage
- NY: 23,860 employees, $43,840 avg wage
- FL: 23,270 employees, $36,830 avg wage
- OH: 20,580 employees, $37,300 avg wage
- PA: 19,010 employees, $34,890 avg wage
- IL: 18,560 employees, $41,550 avg wage
- MD: 14,160 employees, $40,070 avg wage
- NC: 13,850 employees, $33,600 avg wage
- GA: 12,910 employees, $36,200 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Driver/Sales Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 23,350 employees, $45,150 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 14,130 employees, $45,300 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 14,040 employees, $42,100 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 9,500 employees, $42,520 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 9,180 employees, $34,240 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 9,100 employees, $39,670 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 7,780 employees, $36,760 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 7,370 employees, $37,380 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 6,970 employees, $43,780 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 6,740 employees, $37,160 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Driver/Sales Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Driver/Sales Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Driver/Sales Workers is about 417,420 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Driver/Sales Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Driver/Sales Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Driver/Sales Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Driver/Sales Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Marketing.
Common majors for Driver/Sales Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Driver/Sales Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Driver/Sales Workers.
Skills
Driver/Sales Workers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Driver/Sales Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Driver/Sales Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Driver/Sales Workers include Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, English Language, Transportation, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Driver/Sales Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Driver/Sales Workers include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Near Vision, Speech Clarity, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Driver/Sales Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Driver/Sales Workers.
Daily Activities
Driver/Sales Workers spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public.
Most important work activities for Driver/Sales Workers.
About
Driver/Sales Workers
Driver/Sales Workers earn $37,130 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
53-3031 - Driver/Sales Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Driver/Sales Workers reports an average salary of $49,239.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 417,420 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.