Road transport drivers n.e.c.: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time road transport drivers n.e.c. in the UK earned a median £32,892 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 16% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 229th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £24,123; one in ten paid over £48,598.
Median full-time pay: women £27,265 a year, men £33,028 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 42 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 73% of the roughly 123,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 39.3% (from £23,615), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 27,400 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £24,123 | £498.70 | £12.29 | £12,000 | £230.00 | £12.21 |
| 20th percentile | £26,171 | £540.10 | £13.00 | £19,430 | £364.80 | £12.74 |
| 25th percentile | £26,796 | £553.00 | £13.40 | £21,670 | £440.00 | £13.00 |
| 30th percentile | £27,988 | £574.00 | £13.75 | £23,917 | £486.70 | £13.42 |
| 40th percentile | £29,963 | £612.00 | £14.34 | £26,367 | £536.60 | £14.00 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,892 | £654.00 | £15.20 | £28,725 | £584.20 | £14.50 |
| 60th percentile | £35,914 | £718.00 | £16.26 | £31,948 | £637.00 | £15.33 |
| 70th percentile | £39,568 | £786.40 | £17.52 | £35,942 | £714.60 | £16.66 |
| 75th percentile | £41,191 | £811.00 | £18.30 | £37,860 | £755.10 | £17.36 |
| 80th percentile | £43,428 | £858.10 | £18.88 | £40,465 | £804.30 | £18.30 |
| 90th percentile | £48,598* | £993.40 | £21.04 | £45,512 | £939.80 | £20.47 |
| Mean | £34,598 | £710.40 | £16.19 | £29,635 | £595.30 | £15.92 |
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 | £23,615 | £489.90 | £11.32 | £21,218 | £433.70 | 192 |
| 2022 revised | £25,110 | £508.70 | £11.86 | £22,642 | £450.40 | 183 |
| 2023 revised | £27,453 | £559.80 | £13.00 | £25,205 | £509.50 | 123 |
| 2024 revised | £30,000 | £616.00 | £13.89 | £27,220 | £543.30 | 118 |
| 2025 provisional | £32,892 | £654.00 | £15.20 | £28,725 | £584.20 | 123 |
Road transport drivers n.e.c. by region
UK: 27,400 (± 6,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What road transport drivers n.e.c. do
Job holders in this unit group drive other transport vehicles in roles not classified elsewhere in minor group 821: Road transport drivers. (ONS SOC 2020, 8219)
Also covers: driver, driver-cleaner, driver-valeter, recovery driver, test driver (vehicle mfr), coal leader, sack collector, test driver, warehouse driver, charity bag collector, railway motor driver, recovery operator (vehicles), recovery truck driver and recovery vehicle driver (22 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Drives vehicle to destination in accordance with schedule
- Checks tyres, brakes, lights, oil, water and fuel levels and general condition of the vehicle
- Maintains records of journey times, mileage and hours worked
- Undertakes minor repairs and notifies supervisor of any mechanical faults
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Entrants must possess a clean car driving licence. In order to drive vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, entrants must pass an additional test for a category C1 licence. Minimum age restrictions apply according to the weight of vehicle and whether the driver holds a Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence). NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas and at various levels are available.
Related
Road transport drivers (median £35,733) · Driving instructors · Delivery drivers and couriers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026