Delivery Drivers

ANZSCO ID 7321

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
78,700
Future Growth
15.1%
Weekly Earnings
$1,140
Full-Time Share
40%
Female Share
10%
Average age
39

Summary

Delivery Drivers drive vans and cars to deliver goods.

Also known as: Van Driver.

Specialisations: Fast Food Delivery Driver, Grocery Deliverer, Meals on Wheels Driver, Taxi Truck Driver.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Delivery Driver. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in driving operations.

Tasks

  • determining the destinations of goods and most appropriate delivery routes

  • manoeuvring vehicles into position for loading and unloading

  • assisting with loading to ensure goods are arranged for ease of delivery and safely secured to avoid damage

  • verifying loading documents

  • arranging and performing unloading operations and obtaining certification of deliveries

  • reporting vehicle maintenance needs

  • may receive payments for deliveries and arrange accounts

Characteristics

Job Type
Machinery Operators And Drivers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow very strongly
  • is likely to reach 92,900 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
15.1%
(or 12,200 jobs)
From
80,700
in 2021
To
92,900
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 47,300
2012 43,300
2013 40,800
2014 45,100
2015 45,900
2016 52,400
2017 51,500
2018 62,100
2019 68,200
2020 73,300
2021 80,700
2026 92,900

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 52% of people employed as Delivery Drivers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,140 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $950
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,290

    Median hourly earnings are $27, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Delivery Drivers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,140 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
46.1%
2
Accommodation and Food Services
18.1%
3
Retail Trade
14.3%
4
Wholesale Trade
9.7%
5
Other industries
11.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

32.8% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

24.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.3% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.7% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.5% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Delivery Drivers All Jobs Average
NSW 32.8 31.6
VIC 24.5 25.6
QLD 21.1 20.0
SA 7.1 7.0
WA 10.3 10.8
TAS 2.1 2.0
NT 0.7 1.0
ACT 1.5 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
39
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
10%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Delivery Drivers is 39 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 10% of the workforce. This is 38 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Delivery Drivers All Jobs Average
15-19 9.2 5.0
20-24 14.7 9.3
25-34 19.5 22.9
35-44 16.1 22.0
45-54 18.9 21.6
55-59 9.2 9.0
60-64 7.4 6.0
65 and Over 5.0 4.2
Median Age 39 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Delivery Driver. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in driving operations.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Delivery Drivers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 8.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 6.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 18.7 21.1
Year 12 31.1 18.1
Year 11 9.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 23.8 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Delivery Drivers who are reliable, provide good customer service and can interact well with a variety of people.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 43%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 41%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 41%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 41%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 39%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 39%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 36%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 36%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 36%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 34%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 32%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 32%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 30%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 30%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 30%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 29%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 29%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 29%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 27%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 27%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 59%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 48%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 39%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 38%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 37%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 35%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 32%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 30%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 29%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 28%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 24%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 24%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 21%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 20%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 19%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 18%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 17%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 16%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 14%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 9%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 54%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 48%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 46%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 45%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 45%

    Spatial orientation

    Know where things are around you.

  • 45%

    Response orientation

    Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).

  • 43%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 43%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 41%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 41%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 39%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 39%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 39%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 39%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 70%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 60%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 56%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 55%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 55%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 54%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 53%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 52%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 51%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 51%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 48%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 47%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 42%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 41%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 41%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 39%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 39%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 38%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 36%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 35%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 76%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 38%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 43%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 38%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 29%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 29%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 93%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 92%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 89%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 84%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 82%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 82%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 77%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 77%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 76%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 76%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 75%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 75%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 74%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 73%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 70%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 70%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 68%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 67%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 66%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 66%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 53-3033.00 - Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers.


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