FedEx, one of the world’s most recognizable delivery companies, is an incredibly prolific employer. Between its express, ground, freight, office, and other subsidiaries, the shipping and logistics giant boasts almost 530,000 employees worldwide as of 2023. From 2012 to 2022, the company more than doubled its revenue from just shy of $43 billion to almost $94 billion, thanks in part to the many drivers and pilots that serve as caretakers of the world’s cargo as it leapfrogs across skies and highways from senders to recipients.
Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
With a reputation for lightning-fast express delivery services, FedEx (FDX) -) relies on its delivery professionals to keep “the world on time,” a promise that has served as one of the courier’s main slogans since 2001. If you think you might have what it takes to “live to deliver” (another FedEx slogan), you might be wondering how much you could make driving one of the company’s hidden-arrow-clad box trucks. Here’s what you need to know about FedEx delivery driver compensation, benefits, and job requirements.
Related: UPS driver salary: How much you’d make driving the big brown truck
How much does FedEx pay delivery drivers?
FedEx actually has three distinct delivery arms — express, ground, and freight. Express and Freight drivers work directly for FedEx and receive the company’s typical employee benefits, whereas Ground drivers usually work for third-party delivery businesses that contract with FedEx, so their pay and benefits are determined by their employer.
Here’s a closer look at what delivery drivers make in each of these three categories.
Photo by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Express
FedEx Express is FedEx’s premium shipping service, offering two-day and overnight shipping services via a large fleet of aircraft and vehicles. As of 2022, the company had more than 86,000 vehicles in its delivery fleet. Most express delivery drivers drive box trucks and thus do not need a commercial driver's license (CDL).
A job search for “driver” on FedEx Express’ careers website in October 2023 yielded 708 results including full-time, part-time, and swing positions. Starting pay for delivery driver jobs varied geographically — typically with higher wages offered in denser, urban areas with higher costs of living — but most available positions listed a starting wage of over $20 per hour with the opportunity to eventually earn well over $30 per hour with enough experience. Below is a selection of starting wages for FedEx delivery driver jobs in various locations.
| Location | Position | Starting wage |
|---|---|---|
Denver, Colorado |
Delivery Driver |
$24.61 |
Dubuque, Iowa |
Delivery Driver |
$18.71 |
Fargo, North Dakota |
Delivery Driver |
$22.10 |
Jacksonville, Florida |
Delivery Driver/Courier (DOT) |
$20.22 |
Maspeth, New York |
Delivery Driver |
$23.26 |
Middletown, Pennsylvania |
Swing Delivery Driver |
$22.43 |
Pleasanton, California |
Delivery Driver DOT (Part-Time) |
$23.26 |
San Diego, California |
Swing Delivery Driver |
$24.57 |
Ground
FedEx Ground deliveries are “performed by independent businesses with which FedEx Ground contracts.” In other words, FedEx Ground doesn’t hire delivery drivers directly — it contracts out delivery work to smaller companies that employ their own drivers.
This means pay rates and pay structure can vary quite a bit between locations, as each contractor is unique. Some pay hourly, while others pay per delivery.
According to career website Indeed, which calculates salary and wage estimates with user-submitted data from current and former employees along with information listed on public job postings, FedEx Ground delivery drivers make an average of $932 per week, which comes out to $25.78 per hour or $53,620 per year unadjusted for holidays or time off, assuming a 40-hour per-week schedule. The low end of the range was estimated at $300 per week ($17,260 per year), and the high end was estimated at $1,700 per week ($97,804 per year).
Glassdoor, a similar career website that also estimates salaries based on user data, pegs the median annual salary for a FedEx Ground delivery driver at $44,989 (about $24 per hour), with the low end of the range at $38,000 (about $20 per hour) and the high end at $54,000 (about $29 per hour).
Freight
FedEx Freight employs drivers to operate larger vehicles like semi-trucks with tractor-trailers to move freight between delivery hubs and service centers and deliver freight to commercial customers. The vast majority of driving jobs with FedEx Freight require a commercial driver’s license (CDL), sometimes with special endorsements for things like transporting chemical tanks and hazardous materials.
Due to the more technical nature of driving larger vehicles and transporting freight instead of smaller packages and parcels, driver positions with FedEx Freight offer higher starting wages than those with FedEx Express, but most require some degree of trucking experience. FedEx Freight does offer apprentice driver roles that include training to prepare employees to drive commercial vehicles with the promise of promotion to driver upon successful completion.
An October 2023 search of FedEx Freight’s careers site yielded 128 open driver positions. Road (long-haul) drivers are typically paid by the mile — usually $0.60 to $0.80 per mile. Due to this pay structure, take-home pay varies based on route, and the highest-paying routes are reportedly assigned based on seniority.
FedEx Freight’s city drivers, on the other hand, are paid an hourly wage, usually starting around $30 per hour. Below is a selection of starting wages for FedEx city drivers across a variety of locations in the United States.
| Location | Starting wage |
|---|---|
Fife, Washington |
$30.09 |
Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania |
$29.47 |
Rapid City, South Dakota |
$28.11 |
North Reading, Massachusetts |
$33.94 |
Cookeville, Tennessee |
$28.11 |
East Syracuse, New York |
$29.47–$34.11 |
Phoenix, Arizona |
$29.47 |
What benefits do FedEx drivers get?
FedEx is well known for its robust employee benefits packages, which include the usual suspects like healthcare and retirement accounts along with more niche perks like shipping discounts and tuition reimbursement. Here’s a closer look at some of the benefits FedEx Express and Freight drivers may be eligible for.
Note: FedEx ground drivers typically do not work directly for FedEx, so their benefits vary depending on which FedEx contractor employs them.
Healthcare
Eligible full and part-time FedEx employees have access to employer-sponsored health, dental, vision, disability, life, and prescription medication insurance after 90 days on the job. According to some reports, FedEx pays 100% of employees’ health insurance premiums (so no monthly paycheck deductions are required for coverage), and the insurance extends to dependents as well. FedEx also allows employees to contribute a percentage of their paycheck to a tax-free health savings account.
Retirement
FedEx, like many other employers, allows employees to contribute to sponsored Roth or traditional 401(k) retirement accounts and provides matching contributions up to a certain percentage. Most employers match employee 401(k) contributions betwen 3–5% of each paycheck, but FedEx actually offers matching that exceeds employee contributions.
If an employee contributes 6% of each paycheck to their 401(k), for instance, FedEx contributes its maximum 8% match. The table below breaks down FedEx’s 401(k) matching protocols by employee contribution.
| Employee contribution | Company match |
|---|---|
1% |
2% |
2% |
4% |
3% |
5% |
4% |
6% |
5% |
7% |
6% |
8% |
Time off
FedEx drivers accrue paid time off at a rate of 1 hour for every 20 hours worked, which adds up to around 80 hours per year for a driver with a full-time schedule. An employee can begin using their PTO after working with the company for 90 days. Sick days reportedly vary based on location and how long a driver has been with the company.
FedEx also offers parental leave for new parents — 50 weeks paid and 50 weeks unpaid for maternity, and two weeks paid for paternity.
Education
Drivers at FedEx may be eligible for some amount of tuition reimbursement for college courses, but tuition assistance varies depending on which subsidiary a driver works for. According to some reports, however, FedEx does not provide reimbursement if the employee is receiving other sources of financial aid (e.g., grants and loans from a FAFSA application), which most students do.
Shipping discounts
FedEx offers discounted shipping services to its employees. The exact discount may vary between location, subsidiaries, and positions, but most FedEx employee reports on career websites like Indeed and Glassdoor claim that they receive discounts of either 50% or 75%.
What are the requirements to become a FedEx Driver?
To drive for FedEx Express, an applicant must be 21 years of age, have a clean driving record, and possess a high school diploma or GED. Additionally, the ability to safely lift heavy packages is required, which can be a barrier to entry for applicants with certain physical limitations.
To drive for FedEx Freight, an applicant must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL), sometimes with additional endorsements depending on the position. FedEx Freight mostly hires drivers who already have trucking experience, but their driver apprentice program allows applicants without trucking experience to work their way up to driver with on-the-job education.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Below are answers to some of the most common questions prospective applicants have about driving for FedEx.
What are the downsides to driving for FedEx?
The most commonly reported complaints about driving for FedEx are long hours, strenuous physical work, injury risk, inflexible schedules, and high turnover.
Related: Amazon delivery driver salary: How much they really make
FedEx vs. UPS vs. Amazon: Which pays the best?
Amazon’s DSP drivers (the folks in the large, branded Sprinter vans) usually receive a starting wage of around $20 per hour, although this varies based on location. UPS pays a little better, with most available driver positions listing starting wages of at least $23 per hour, although jobs in some areas start at $21 per hour. Starting wages for FedEx Express drivers vary between around $18 per hour and $25 per hour based on location, so it tends to be somewhat in line with UPS.
How much does a FedEx pilot make?
First officers on FedEx planes typically make between $75,000 and $200,000 per year, while pilots typically make between $220,00 and $280,000.
Is FedEx unionized?
As of late 2023, FedEx is not unionized.
Does FedEx drug test?
FedEx reportedly requires applicants to pass a urine-based drug screen to secure employment. After the initial drug test during the hiring process, however, most employees are not drug tested again unless they are suspected of inebriation.
