Heavy and large goods vehicle drivers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time heavy and large goods vehicle drivers in the UK earned a median £39,905 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £866 above the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 133rd of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £28,253; one in ten paid over £53,128.
Median full-time pay: women £15.87 an hour, men £16.26 an hour.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 47.9 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
ASHE counts roughly 237,000 employee jobs, 92% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 29.4% (from £30,838), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 273,400 people in this line of work, 12% of them in East of England.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £28,253 | £587.20 | £13.41 | £24,708* | £529.50 | £13.25 |
| 20th percentile | £32,295 | £652.70 | £14.36 | £30,895 | £622.10 | £14.30 |
| 25th percentile | £33,749 | £680.60 | £14.71 | £32,510 | £652.20 | £14.69 |
| 30th percentile | £34,965 | £704.70 | £15.00 | £34,074 | £682.10 | £15.00 |
| 40th percentile | £37,516 | £750.40 | £15.63 | £36,792 | £732.30 | £15.62 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £39,905 | £799.90 | £16.25 | £39,141 | £781.50 | £16.25 |
| 60th percentile | £42,660 | £859.30 | £17.07 | £42,042 | £842.90 | £17.09 |
| 70th percentile | £45,341 | £916.20 | £18.00 | £44,860 | £902.50 | £18.07 |
| 75th percentile | £46,679 | £949.40 | £18.58 | £46,326 | £941.50 | £18.64 |
| 80th percentile | £48,559 | £984.20 | £19.30 | £48,035 | £976.00 | £19.35 |
| 90th percentile | £53,128 | £1,100.70 | £21.64 | £52,634 | £1,086.30 | £21.75 |
| Mean | £40,136 | £828.30 | £17.00 | £38,887 | £797.40 | £17.03 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £30,838 | £640.10 | £12.60 | £30,476 | £632.10 | 196 |
| 2022 revised | £34,053 | £710.00 | £14.19 | £33,809 | £699.30 | 244 |
| 2023 revised | £37,320 | £747.40 | £14.99 | £36,847 | £736.20 | 213 |
| 2024 revised | £38,761 | £794.50 | £15.81 | £38,353 | £774.60 | 234 |
| 2025 provisional | £39,905 | £799.90 | £16.25 | £39,141 | £781.50 | 237 |
Heavy and large goods vehicle drivers by region
UK: 273,400 (± 20,300), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| East of England | 33,500* | ± 7,900 |
| South East | 29,900* | ± 6,800 |
| South West | 29,300* | ± 6,200 |
| West Midlands | 28,800* | ± 7,000 |
| North West | 27,700* | ± 6,400 |
| East Midlands | 26,500* | ± 6,800 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 25,400* | ± 5,900 |
| Scotland | 20,600* | ± 5,200 |
| Northern Ireland | 14,800* | ± 3,900 |
| North East | 12,700* | ± 3,500 |
| Wales | 11,200* | ± 3,000 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What heavy and large goods vehicle drivers do
HGV and LGV drivers collect, transport and deliver goods in rigid vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, articulated lorries and lorries pulling trailers. (ONS SOC 2020, 8211)
Also covers: haulage contractor, LGV/HGV driver, lorry driver, owner (HGV/LGV), tanker driver, carrier (nos), cartage contractor, cattle remover, cattle transporter, coal carrier, coal carter, coal deliverer, coal deliveryman, coal hauler, coal man, coalman (delivery), dustcart driver and general carrier (71 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Checks tyres, brakes, lights, oil, water and fuel levels and general condition of the vehicle
- Drives vehicle from depot to loading/unloading point
- Agrees delivery schedule and route with transport management
- Assists with loading/unloading and ensures that load is evenly distributed and safely secured
- Drives vehicle to destination in accordance with schedule
- Maintains records of journey times, mileage and hours worked
No formal academic entry qualifications are required. The HGV/LGV test incorporates a medical examination, theory test and assessed road driving. HGV/LGV drivers of vehicles of 3.5 tonnes and over require a Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence). The minimum age for HGV/LGV driving after obtaining the qualification is 18 years. NVQs/SVQs, other vocational courses and apprenticeships relevant to this occupation are available at various levels.
Related
Road transport drivers (median £35,733) · Bus and coach drivers · Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026