What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Owner Operator?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Owner Operator jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Kailua-Kona, HI (41.3% above average), followed by Charlestown, RI and Summit, NJ. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Kailua-Kona, HI $322,977 $26,914 $6,211 $155.28 Charlestown, RI $322,775 $26,897 $6,207 $155.18 Summit, NJ $319,755 $26,646 $6,149 $153.73 East Meadow, NY $319,281 $26,606 $6,140 $153.50 Essex Junction, VT $317,063 $26,421 $6,097 $152.43 Biddeford, ME $312,414 $26,034 $6,007 $150.20 Hawthorne, NJ $311,897 $25,991 $5,998 $149.95 Sanger, CA $311,065 $25,922 $5,982 $149.55 Maywood, NJ $310,890 $25,907 $5,978 $149.47 Franklin, MA $310,854 $25,904 $5,977 $149.45

Owner Operator

Owner Operator Salary

Q: How much does an Owner Operator make?

The average annual pay for an owner operator in the United States is $228,575 a year — that works out to approximately $109.89 an hour. The middle 80% of Owner Operators earn between $84,000 (10th percentile) and $385,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Owner Operator Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Owner Operator in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Seasonal Owner Operator Truck Driver at $18,153 (7.9%) above Owner Operator. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Seasonal Owner Operator Truck Driver $210,422 $17,535 $4,046 $101.16 Cargo Van Owner $114,182 $9,515 $2,195 $54.90 Owner Operator Cargo Van Driver $56,156 $4,679 $1,079 $27.00 Cargo $43,812 $3,651 $842 $21.06 Bobtail Driver $42,475 $3,539 $816 $20.42

$33.5K

$205.5K

$399K

$228,575

/year

$109.89

/hour

Owner Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$228,575

Columbus

Ohio

$220,781

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How much does an Owner Operator make?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for an Owner Operator in the United States is $228,575 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $109.89 an hour. This is the equivalent of $4,395/week or $19,047/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $399,000 and as low as $33,500, the majority of Owner Operator salaries currently range between $125,000 (25th percentile) to $340,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $385,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Owner Operator varies greatly (by as much as 215000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

An Owner Operator in your area makes on average $220,781 per year, or $7,794 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $228,575. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Owner Operator salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Owner Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Owner Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Owner Operator Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Owner Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kailua-Kona, HI, , with Charlestown, RI, and Summit, NJ, close behind in the second and third positions. Summit, NJ, beats the national average by $91,180 (39.9%), and Kailua-Kona, HI, furthers that trend with another $94,402 (41.3%) above the $228,575 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Owner Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 3% between Kailua-Kona, HI, and Franklin, MA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Owner Operator role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Kailua-Kona, HI	$322,977	$26,914	$6,211	$155.28
Charlestown, RI	$322,775	$26,897	$6,207	$155.18
Summit, NJ	$319,755	$26,646	$6,149	$153.73
East Meadow, NY	$319,281	$26,606	$6,140	$153.50
Essex Junction, VT	$317,063	$26,421	$6,097	$152.43
Biddeford, ME	$312,414	$26,034	$6,007	$150.20
Hawthorne, NJ	$311,897	$25,991	$5,998	$149.95
Sanger, CA	$311,065	$25,922	$5,982	$149.55
Maywood, NJ	$310,890	$25,907	$5,978	$149.47
Franklin, MA	$310,854	$25,904	$5,977	$149.45

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Owner Operator Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Owner Operator job category, we found that Seasonal Owner Operator Truck Driver jobs have average salaries similar than Owner Operator jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Seasonal Owner Operator Truck Driver	$210,422	$17,535	$4,046	$101.16
Cargo Van Owner	$114,182	$9,515	$2,195	$54.90
Owner Operator Cargo Van Driver	$56,156	$4,679	$1,079	$27.00
Cargo	$43,812	$3,651	$842	$21.06
Bobtail Driver	$42,475	$3,539	$816	$20.42

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Owner Operator salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $228,575 per year or $109.89 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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