Truck driver salaries are dependent on many factors, such the size of the vehicle, distance traveling, seniority, pay structure etc. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves & Shutterstock)

Truck drivers help keep the flow of goods moving around the world and can make good money doing it.

However, pay rates fluctuate on a regular basis, making it difficult to nail down the exact range of income a driver might earn in a given year.

In the United States, specialized truck drivers at major companies can make upward of $70,000 to $100,000 a year, depending on their load type, mileage, licensing and experience.

The median annual wage for U.S. truck drivers in 2020 was just over $47,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Canada, the average salary for truckers is around $43,000. Ice road truckers in Canada are some of the highest-paid drivers in the world, averaging around $100,000.

Mexico had the lowest average salary for truck drivers in North America, earning about $13,800 a year, according to the Mexican Social Security Institute.

Brazil, which has the largest economy in South America, pays truck drivers on average between $6,000 and $10,000 a year.

China, which has one of the largest economies in the world, pays truck drivers on average around $15,000 to $17,000 a year.

Russia, one of the largest countries geographically in the world, pays truck drivers on average about $6,800 to $11,000 a year.

These 10 countries have the highest-paid general cargo truck drivers (U.S. dollars).

  1. Switzerland: $70,452
  2. Australia: $53,951
  3. Belgium: $50,462
  4. Norway: $47,572
  5. United States: $47,130
  6. Germany: $46,871
  7. Netherlands: $46,865
  8. Austria: $46,217
  9. Canada: $43,445
  10. Sweden: $42,751

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Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1999. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as journalist, working for newspapers in Florida, Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com