South Dakota is the #9 state where delivery drivers are paid the least

Working as a delivery driver can take many forms. Those who prefer rural areas can choose to work picking up crops from farms and taking them to markets around their states and beyond their borders. Drivers who live in the suburbs can work for a delivery service that primarily delivers packages to companies and people’s homes. And those who live in dense urban environments may wish to consider working in food delivery, bringing food from restaurants to people’s homes and offices.

Regardless of what type of deliveries drivers make, wages for their work will vary widely across the United States. However, as of mid-2021, a severe shortage of drivers—particularly in trucking—is causing supply chain issues across the country, and workers may be able to see an increase in wages due to the tightened supply of their labor.

Circuit used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to rank the highest-paying states for delivery drivers by estimated average annual wages, also including the statistics for the total estimated employment of drivers in the state. Data was taken from three specific occupations as categorized by BLS: driver/sales workers, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and light truck drivers. Data for Delaware’s employment doesn’t include an estimate for driver/sales workers. There are 3,162,630 Americans employed in delivery nationally, with an average hourly wage of $19.08, and an average annual wage of $39,689.

See the statistics below to find out how much delivery drivers make in your state or click through the national story for a look at how much delivery drivers make in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

South Dakota by the numbers

- Average annual wage: $37,833
- Average hourly wage: $18.19
- Total employment: 11,540

Robot food delivery is coming to South Dakota. South Dakota State University has implemented a robotic delivery service on its campus, which is in part an effort to save humans the effort of trekking through the state’s snow and cold to get their food in the winter.

Keep reading to see which states are most and least lucrative for delivery drivers.

States where delivery drivers make the most

#1. Alaska: $48,893 average annual wage ($23.50 average hourly wage)
#2. Washington: $46,173 average annual wage ($22.20 average hourly wage)
#3. Massachusetts: $45,373 average annual wage ($21.81 average hourly wage)

States where delivery drivers make the least

#1. Mississippi: $35,653 average annual wage ($17.14 average hourly wage)
#2. South Carolina: $35,833 average annual wage ($17.23 average hourly wage)
#3. Florida: $36,323 average annual wage ($17.47 average hourly wage)