{
  "slug": "driver-pay-per-mile-vs-hourly",
  "title": "Driver Pay Per Mile vs Hourly Calculator",
  "heading": "Per-Mile vs Hourly Driver Pay Comparison",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/driver-pay-per-mile-vs-hourly",
  "summary": "Compare take-home pay under mileage vs hourly pay structures.",
  "description": "Drivers and carriers argue over pay structure because the two systems reward completely different things — per-mile pay rewards distance covered regardless of time, hourly pay rewards time regardless of distance. This calculator takes your typical week's miles and hours and computes gross pay under each structure, plus the effective per-mile and hourly rate each structure produces. It's useful for drivers evaluating a job offer stated in one unit when their experience is in the other, and for carriers modeling what a switch to hourly pay (increasingly common for detention-heavy regional routes) would cost against current per-mile payroll.",
  "formula": "Mileage pay = miles × rate/mi; Hourly pay = hours × rate/hr; compare effective rates.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=driver-pay-per-mile-vs-hourly",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "miles",
      "label": "Miles this week",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2400,
      "unit": "mi",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "hours",
      "label": "Hours worked this week",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 55,
      "unit": "hr",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "cpmRate",
      "label": "Per-mile pay rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.58,
      "unit": "$/mi",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "hourlyRate",
      "label": "Hourly pay rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 24,
      "unit": "$/hr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "difference",
      "label": "Mileage pay minus hourly pay",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "mileagePay",
      "label": "Weekly pay under mileage",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "hourlyPay",
      "label": "Weekly pay under hourly",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "mileagePayEffHourly",
      "label": "Mileage pay's effective $/hr",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "hourlyPayEffCpm",
      "label": "Hourly pay's effective $/mi",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Miles this week: 2400 mi",
      "Hours worked this week: 55 hr",
      "Per-mile pay rate: 0.58 $/mi",
      "Hourly pay rate: 24 $/hr"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Mileage pay minus hourly pay: $72",
      "Weekly pay under mileage: $1,392",
      "Weekly pay under hourly: $1,320",
      "Mileage pay's effective $/hr: $25.31",
      "Hourly pay's effective $/mi: $0.55"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter miles this week (mi).",
      "Enter hours worked this week (hr).",
      "Enter per-mile pay rate ($/mi).",
      "Enter hourly pay rate ($/hr).",
      "Read your mileage pay minus hourly pay on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "miles": 1450,
        "hours": 33,
        "cpmRate": 0.348,
        "hourlyRate": 14.399999999999999
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "miles": 2400,
        "hours": 55,
        "cpmRate": 0.58,
        "hourlyRate": 24
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "miles": 3850,
        "hours": 88,
        "cpmRate": 0.9279999999999999,
        "hourlyRate": 38.400000000000006
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Which pay structure is better for drivers?",
      "a": "It depends on the route. High-mileage line-haul lanes with light dock time favor per-mile pay because you rack up miles fast. Regional or LTL routes with heavy dock, detention, and traffic favor hourly because you're compensated even when the truck isn't moving."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why do carriers prefer per-mile pay?",
      "a": "It ties payroll directly to freight moved and is simpler to audit against ELD mileage logs. Hourly pay requires more careful time tracking and can inflate cost on routes with unpredictable dwell time, which is harder to price into customer rates."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is hourly pay required by law?",
      "a": "Federal law (FLSA) generally exempts most long-haul truck drivers from overtime under the motor carrier exemption, but some states require minimum wage guarantees regardless of pay structure, and detention/wait-time pay rules vary — check your state's specific rules."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I decide which offer to take?",
      "a": "Estimate your typical weekly miles and hours honestly, run both numbers here, and also weigh consistency — hourly pay is more predictable when freight is choppy, while per-mile rewards drivers who can run hard on open lanes."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/detention-pay-recovery",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/owner-operator-cost-per-mile",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/route-density-stops-per-hour"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Driver Pay Per Mile vs Hourly Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/driver-pay-per-mile-vs-hourly)"
}