How much does a Truck Driver make in Delaware?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $58,510 for Truck Drivers in Delaware as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $51,060 and the 75th-percentile is $62,400.

How many Truck Drivers does Delaware employ?

BLS OES counts 5,950 Truck Drivers employed in Delaware in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

How wide is the wage spread in Delaware?

P10 to P90 spans $44,610 to $74,010. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is Delaware a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Truck Drivers?

No — Delaware's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

OTR vs regional vs local truck driver pay in Delaware?

BLS aggregates Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) into one figure. In Delaware, OTR (over-the-road, multi-week trips) typically pays the highest gross — $65-90K range with experience — but on a real per-hour basis once away-from-home time is counted, regional (home weekly) and local/dedicated (home daily) routes often net comparable take-home. Local LTL and dedicated-fleet routes in Delaware frequently pay above the BLS median when union-represented (Teamsters).

Owner-operator vs company driver in Delaware — which actually nets more?

Gross revenue for an owner-operator in {state} can run $200K-$300K, but after truck payment, fuel, insurance, maintenance, and self-employment tax, net take-home typically lands $70-110K — modestly above company-driver pay but with substantially more risk and capital exposure. The owner-operator advantage is biggest for drivers with paid-off trucks or specialty routes (oversize, hazmat, refrigerated). Company-driver pay is the floor; owner-operator is volatile.

CDL school cost and payback in Delaware?

CDL Class A schools in Delaware typically run $4,000-$8,000 over 4-8 weeks, often partly or fully reimbursed by carriers in exchange for a 12-month commitment. With first-year company-driver pay around $50-65K in Delaware, payback is usually inside 6 months even at full self-pay. Endorsements (hazmat, tanker, doubles/triples) add $500-$2,000 to certification cost and unlock 5-15% wage premiums on appropriate routes.

How Much Do Truck Drivers Make in Delaware? $59K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

Truck Drivers in Delaware earn a BLS median of $58,510, with real take-home of $59,245 after BEA RPP adjustment.
State ranks #23 nationally on nominal wage, #20 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $44,610 · P25 $51,060 · P75 $62,400 · P90 $74,010.

Wage breakdown — Delaware

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$44,610	$45,171
P25 (lower quartile)	$51,060	$51,702
P50 (median)	$58,510	$59,245
P75 (upper quartile)	$62,400	$63,184
P90 (top tier)	$74,010	$74,940
Mean	$57,660	$58,385
Employment	5,950 Truck Drivers in Delaware

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Delaware index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	98.8
Goods	97.3
Services	104.4
Rents	98.9

Delaware's overall RPP (98.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Delaware (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Truck Driver)	$58,510	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$4,883	8.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$2,680	2.2–6.6% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$4,476	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$46,470	79.4% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$47,054	÷ (98.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Delaware state-tax burden means for Truck Driver take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $46,470 (79.4% of gross). After the 98.8 RPP, real take-home is $47,054.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $57,440 for Truck Drivers with mean pay of $58,400 and total employment of 2,070,480. Delaware sits at #23 on nominal pay and #20 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Delaware climbs 3 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Truck Driver make in Delaware?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $58,510 for Truck Drivers in Delaware as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $51,060 and the 75th-percentile is $62,400.
How many Truck Drivers does Delaware employ?: BLS OES counts 5,950 Truck Drivers employed in Delaware in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
How wide is the wage spread in Delaware?: P10 to P90 spans $44,610 to $74,010. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Delaware a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Truck Drivers?: No — Delaware's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
OTR vs regional vs local truck driver pay in Delaware?: BLS aggregates Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) into one figure. In Delaware, OTR (over-the-road, multi-week trips) typically pays the highest gross — $65-90K range with experience — but on a real per-hour basis once away-from-home time is counted, regional (home weekly) and local/dedicated (home daily) routes often net comparable take-home. Local LTL and dedicated-fleet routes in Delaware frequently pay above the BLS median when union-represented (Teamsters).
Owner-operator vs company driver in Delaware — which actually nets more?: Gross revenue for an owner-operator in {state} can run $200K-$300K, but after truck payment, fuel, insurance, maintenance, and self-employment tax, net take-home typically lands $70-110K — modestly above company-driver pay but with substantially more risk and capital exposure. The owner-operator advantage is biggest for drivers with paid-off trucks or specialty routes (oversize, hazmat, refrigerated). Company-driver pay is the floor; owner-operator is volatile.
CDL school cost and payback in Delaware?: CDL Class A schools in Delaware typically run $4,000-$8,000 over 4-8 weeks, often partly or fully reimbursed by carriers in exchange for a 12-month commitment. With first-year company-driver pay around $50-65K in Delaware, payback is usually inside 6 months even at full self-pay. Endorsements (hazmat, tanker, doubles/triples) add $500-$2,000 to certification cost and unlock 5-15% wage premiums on appropriate routes.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 53-3032, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Delaware Truck Driver pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.