Watch Now


10 countries where truckers make the most money

AskWaves explores how much drivers earn around the world

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

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.

More articles by Noi Mahoney

Mexico regains status as No. 1 US trade partner

Misuse of B-1 visa drivers undercutting trucking industry

El Paso border crossing aims to recover from huge 2020 trade drop

One Comment

Comments are closed.

Noi Mahoney

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 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact [email protected]