How much do hazmat drivers make in 2026?
Hazardous materials drivers are counted in the BLS heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 53-3032 national median at $58,640 a year ($28.19 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $40,140 and the top 10% at $79,380. Hazmat work sits above that pooled median, and the reason is a credential barrier rather than driving difficulty. There is no separate hazardous materials licence: what exists is the H endorsement added to a commercial driver licence, and it is the only CDL endorsement that requires a federal security threat assessment through the TSA, renewed on a five-year cycle. On top of the endorsement, carriers must provide hazardous materials training under the transportation regulations, covering the specific classes hauled, placarding, segregation, shipping papers and emergency response information. That combination — screening, recurrent training and insurer thresholds — keeps the qualified pool small. Pay follows the hazard class and the sector: mixed less-than-truckload hazmat and general chemical freight sit modestly above the median, while explosives, radioactive materials, compressed gases and crude and fuel work carry substantial premiums. Many carriers also pay a per-load hazmat premium regardless of freight type. Employment is projected to grow 4% through 2034 with roughly 237,600 openings a year. → Full hazmat driver career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $58,640 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- HAZMAT Drivers earn a national median $58,640/yr ($28.19/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 53-3032); the P10 to P90 range is $40,140 to $79,380.
- Hazmat work sits above the $58,640 pooled median for heavy truck drivers, inside a $40,140 to $79,380 band, with explosives, radioactive and compressed gas freight at the top.
- There is no separate hazmat licence: the H endorsement is added to a commercial driver licence and is the only endorsement requiring a federal TSA security threat assessment, on a five-year cycle.
- Carrier-provided hazardous materials training is a recurring legal obligation covering the classes hauled, placarding, segregation and emergency response information.
US HAZMAT Driver Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do hazmat drivers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 53-3032; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 53-3032, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a hazmat driver earn at each career stage?
Hazmat pay follows hazard class, sector and the screening and record needed to be insurable. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 53-3032.
By State
Which states pay hazmat drivers the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. The endorsement framework is federal and the screening is administered nationally, so what varies by state is where the freight is: chemical manufacturing, refining, mining and waste treatment states generate the loads. Our hazmat driver licence hub covers the endorsement, screening and renewal cycle.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($67,440), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay hazmat drivers the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Hazmat routing restrictions in tunnels, bridges and urban cores are a real operational factor: metro delivery of regulated freight requires route planning that suburban and industrial-corridor work does not.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a hazmat driver’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does hazmat driver pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. HAZMAT Drivers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify hazmat driver wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a hazmat driver actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
HAZMAT Driver Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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