Prevailing Wage for Light Truck Drivers
The prevailing wage for Light Truck Drivers (SOC 53-3033) is set by the Department of Labor and forms the salary floor any U.S. employer must meet when sponsoring a Delivery Driver, Package Delivery Driver, or Route Driver for an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL publishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor varies significantly by worksite city.
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Entry-level drivers with limited experience, typically under two years on the job and no supervisory duties. Work is closely supervised, with routes and procedures defined by the employer. Most new international hires in delivery roles fall here initially.
Qualified drivers with two or more years of experience handling standard routes independently. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Light Truck Drivers because it reflects the baseline of a fully functional, unsupervised delivery professional.
Experienced drivers who regularly handle complex routes, oversee junior drivers, or take on logistical planning responsibilities. May train new hires or manage multi-stop distribution workflows with minimal direct supervision.
Fully competent drivers at the senior end of the occupation: lead drivers, senior route specialists, or those with specialized cargo handling certifications. These professionals often set standards, mentor others, or manage territory-level delivery operations.
Prevailing Wage for Light Truck Drivers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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Confirm your worksite city before comparing wages
Prevailing wages for delivery drivers vary sharply between metros. San Francisco floors are more than double those in Puerto Rico metros like Mayaguez. The worksite address on the LCA, not your employer's headquarters, determines which wage floor applies.
Watch for title mismatches at non-carrier employers
Retailers and logistics firms sometimes post Package Car Driver or Bulk Delivery Driver roles under a different SOC than 53-3033. If your offer letter title does not match the LCA occupation, the prevailing wage floor used may not reflect actual delivery driver rates.
Exclude signing bonuses when checking the floor
DOL requires the prevailing wage to be met through base salary alone. One-time signing bonuses, per-diem allowances, and mileage reimbursements do not count toward satisfying the wage floor for sponsored delivery driver positions.
Search Migrate Mate for employers with driver sponsorship history
Light Truck Driver sponsorships are concentrated among large logistics carriers and last-mile delivery contractors. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actually sponsored delivery driver roles before, so you can focus your search on companies with a real track record.
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Find Jobs for Light Truck DriversPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 53-3033.00 alongside Light Truck Drivers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Bulk Delivery Driver Prevailing Wage
Bulk Delivery Driver Prevailing Wage
Bulk Delivery Driver positions fall under SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Delivery Driver Prevailing Wage
Delivery Driver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Delivery Driver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Driver Prevailing Wage
Driver Prevailing Wage
Driver is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Package Car Driver Prevailing Wage
Package Car Driver Prevailing Wage
Package Car Driver positions fall under SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Package Delivery Driver Prevailing Wage
Package Delivery Driver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Package Delivery Driver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Route Driver Prevailing Wage
Route Driver Prevailing Wage
Route Driver is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Service Provider Prevailing Wage
Service Provider Prevailing Wage
Service Provider positions fall under SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Truck Driver Prevailing Wage
Truck Driver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Truck Driver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Warehouse Driver Prevailing Wage
Warehouse Driver Prevailing Wage
Warehouse Driver is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-3033.00 (Light Truck Drivers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Light Truck Drivers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For each area, DOL assigns four wage levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity. Employers sponsoring a delivery driver must offer at least the wage corresponding to the role's level in the worksite area, as certified on the Labor Condition Application through OFLC.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level drivers under close supervision. Level 2 applies to qualified drivers working independently on standard routes and is the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 covers experienced drivers with added responsibilities such as training or complex logistics. Level 4 applies to senior or lead drivers. To identify your level, compare the duties in your job offer against DOL's experience-based definitions and confirm which level your employer used on the LCA.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same delivery driver role differ so much between cities?
DOL calculates wages from regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the numbers. A Route Driver position in San Francisco reflects the high cost of labor in that metro, while the same title in a Puerto Rico metro reflects local wages. The LCA rules require employers to use the prevailing wage for the actual worksite address, not company headquarters. This means a single employer operating across multiple metros must meet different wage floors at each location.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify a Labor Condition Application through OFLC if the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the role and location. USCIS will not approve an H-1B or other sponsored petition without a certified LCA. If a wage gap is discovered during or after filing, the employer may owe back wages. Candidates should request the offered wage in writing and compare it to the published prevailing wage before a petition is filed.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Light Truck Drivers position in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up current prevailing wages by occupation title, SOC code 53-3033, and metro area. Select the wage level that matches the duties in your offer. For alternative job titles such as Delivery Driver or Package Delivery Driver, cross-reference the O*NET profile for SOC 53-3033 to confirm the correct occupation code before running the lookup. Verifying the correct worksite metro is essential since wages differ significantly across areas.
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