Official pay data
Updated October 8, 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United States · annual wage estimate
25th percentile
$47,960
Median
$58,640
75th percentile
$69,120
BLS covers wage and salary employees, including part-time workers, but excludes self-employed workers and owners or partners in unincorporated firms. Wages include commissions and production bonuses, but exclude overtime premiums, employer benefits, and non-production bonuses; this is not a base-pay-only or total-compensation measure. Annual wage estimates generally convert hourly rates using a full-time, year-round schedule of 2,080 hours. Actual annual earnings on a shorter schedule can be lower.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: BLS, 2025-05-01. Mapped to Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
For an HGV Driver role in the United States, this national benchmark is a close fit because it covers heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. It is most useful when the job involves transporting goods in heavy trucks or tractor-trailer combinations. The match becomes less exact when an offer centers on a narrower driving role or unusually specific cargo-handling duties.
Benchmark fit
The benchmark fits Truck Driver work involving heavy or tractor-trailer vehicles used to transport and deliver goods. It is an occupation-level comparison, so use the job description to check whether the driving, inspection, cargo, and documentation duties line up with the offer.
Nearby titles: Heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver.
This benchmark describes the broad heavy and tractor-trailer truck-driver occupation. It does not establish pay for a narrower assignment, and conditional tasks such as loading, trailer coupling, or collecting payment may not be part of every role.
Role scope
Drive heavy trucks or tractor-trailer combinations to transport and deliver goods.
Inspect trailers before and after trips, then record defects found. · Secure cargo with equipment appropriate to the load, such as ropes, blocks, chains, binders, or covers. · Report road incidents to a dispatcher. · Check load documentation and use bills of lading to determine assignment details when those documents are part of the job. · Keep the truck and associated equipment clean, maintained, and in working order.
Goods delivered by heavy truck or tractor-trailer. · Completed trailer inspections with recorded defects where found. · Accurate load documentation when the assignment includes it.
For this U.S. guide, HGV Driver is treated as Truck Driver work only where the role aligns with the heavy and tractor-trailer occupation. The title alone does not confirm every conditional duty.
Read the range
A useful comparison is a Truck Driver position that combines long-distance goods transport with trailer inspection, cargo security, and load-document checks. Treat loading, trailer coupling, route planning, and proof-of-delivery collection as job-specific details to confirm, because they apply only on some assignments.
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Beyond salary
Compare the offer's stated cash pay with the benchmark on a like-for-like basis. Ask which payments are fixed, which are conditional, and whether any benefits sit outside the cash figure. The benchmark includes commissions and production bonuses, but it excludes overtime premiums, employer benefits, and non-production bonuses.
Confirm the stated pay basis and compare it separately from conditional payments.
Ask whether commissions or production bonuses apply, how they are calculated, and what conditions must be met. Keep overtime premiums and non-production bonuses separate when comparing the offer with the benchmark.
If pension, health coverage, paid leave, or equity is offered, ask for the terms and value separately because employer benefits are outside the benchmark's wage measure.
Offer review
Questions
Source
Source: BLS, 2025-05-01. The figures cover Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer (53-3032) and all employment. Updated October 8, 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every HGV Driver vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your resume around the experience that supports your target level.
