6-digit UPS salary has Hoosiers asking what brown can do for them

John Tufts, Indianapolis Star
·3 min read

If you recently considered trading in your business tie for a pair of brown shorts and a UPS truck, you're not alone.

A new study reveals people across the country have been searching for jobs at United Parcel Service ever since news broke that full-time UPS drivers will earn an average of $170,000 in annual pay and benefits following a new union agreement.

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Indeed.com recently witnessed a 50% increase in job searches for "UPS" and "United Parcel Service," according to data shared with IndyStar. Meanwhile searches for similar roles like "delivery driver" didn't get the same degree of attention.

Hoosiers in particular have flocked to Google in the past two weeks seemingly intrigued by the higher salaries. Google searches of "UPS driving jobs" in Indiana are among the nation's highest.

It's not hard to see why Hoosiers are so interested.

The average pay for a full-time package car driver after four years of experience is quoted at $42 an hour, the highest in the industry, according to UPS. Other benefits boasted by the company include the following:

  • Nearly half of UPS full-time drivers have at least 15 years with the company and receive a minimum of four weeks of vacation per year. Employees receive an average of 18 additional days off, including holidays, sick leave, and option days.

  • UPS contributes more than $23,000 per year to each full-time employee’s pension plan.

  • Full-time UPS package car drivers make, on average, about $95,000 per year, plus another $50,000 in contributions to health, welfare and pension benefits.

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Industry professionals caution that before you consider quitting your job to work for UPS, know what you're getting into — the path from new hire to UPS driver isn't always a smooth ride.

"It's worth noting that while the salary package is attractive, it requires commitment and hard work," said Jamie Ellis of PRPioneer.com, which conducted the Google Trends study. "To attain this package, employees must initially serve in UPS's massive packing warehouses, earning a starting wage of $21 per hour plus benefits for part-time roles. It can take years to transition from these roles."

Freshmen drivers at UPS face their own share of challenges, Ellis added. They don't start off with top-tier pay or work prime hours. Often, they have to lug around heavier packages, have more stops, and work shifts beyond a comfortable Monday to Friday, 8-to-5 schedule.

Hoosiers who don't mind the hard work are welcome to check for Indiana job listings at the company's website. Last year, UPS sought to fill more than 100,000 seasonal jobs, in which it said 35,000 seasonal employees in 2021 earned permanent positions with the company.

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John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: UPS driver jobs at six figures? 'Sign me up' say Hoosiers