Minimum wage · Zambia
Truck driver and bus driver salary in Zambia: the legal minimum wage
The legal minimum for a truck driver is K4,000 a month basic, and for a bus driver K3,000. Cross border trips add US$20 or US$30 a night.
A truck driver in Zambia must get at least K4,000 a month in basic pay, and a bus driver at least K3,000, according to the Ministry of Labour. That covers non-unionised drivers of public service vehicles. Cross border subsistence is US$30 a night in a vehicle with no sleeping cab, and US$20 a night in one with a cab. These are floors, not what every driver earns. We have no official figure for typical pay, and we won't guess one.
| Driver | Minimum basic pay a month | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Truck driver | K4,000, up from K3,000 | SI 3 of 2025, in the Ministry's statement |
| Bus driver | K3,000, up from K2,200 | SI 3 of 2025, in the Ministry's statement |
| Driver under the general order | K2,119.23 | SI 48 of 2023, Category IV |
| Shop: heavy duty or PSV driver | K2,296.89 | SI 50 of 2023, Category IV |
| Shop: driver with an ordinary licence | K2,121.35 | SI 50 of 2023, Category III |
| Shop: motorcycle or three wheeler driver | K1,801.98 | SI 50 of 2023, Category II |
We read the Ministry's press statement of 11 April 2025, not SI 3 of 2025 itself. Everything we say about that order comes from the statement. What truck and bus mean comes from SI 106 of 2020, the earlier drivers' order.
When did the new driver wages start, and who gets them?
The Ministry says Government raised the wages on 16 January 2025 through Statutory Instrument 3 of 2025, and its statement of 11 April 2025 says they took effect that day. In its words, the new wages only apply to non-unionized workers who operate public service vehicles (PSV).
The earlier drivers' order, SI 106 of 2020, says what those words cover. A truck is a public service vehicle licensed to carry goods. A bus is a public service vehicle licensed to carry 40 or more passengers. So a smaller minibus falls outside that meaning, and the general order's K2,119.23 for a driver is the floor to check first. The 2020 order also leaves out drivers in management, and drivers whose pay is set by collective bargaining or by an agreement with better terms. We haven't read SI 3 of 2025 itself, so if you aren't sure where you fall, ask the Ministry at [email protected].
What would a truck driver take home on the minimum?
On K4,000 with no allowances you're under the K5,100 PAYE line, so there's no PAYE. NAPSA at 5% is K200 and NHIMA at 1% of basic is K40. That leaves K3,760. For a bus driver on K3,000 it's K150 NAPSA and K30 NHIMA, which leaves K2,820. Cash allowances raise your gross pay, and above K5,100 a month they start to attract PAYE.
How does subsistence add up on a cross border trip?
It's paid per night. Five nights in a truck with no sleeping cab comes to 5 x US$30 = US$150. Five nights with a sleeping cab comes to 5 x US$20 = US$100. Keep your own record of the nights and the border dates, since it's the easiest way to spot a shortfall.
How is a driver's overtime worked out?
The Employment Code divides monthly basic pay by 208 to get the hourly rate. On K4,000 that's K19.23 an hour. Hours above 48 in a week pay 1.5 times, so about K28.85 an hour, and 10 such hours come to K288.46. A weekly rest day or public holiday outside your normal week pays double. Our overtime calculator does this sum for you, and overtime counts as pay for PAYE.
Do job adverts in Zambia state a driver's pay?
Not in our catalogue. On 1 November 2026, none of the 105 adverts for jobs in Zambia had a job title with the word driver, and none of our 270 jobs had pay in the salary field. Driving still matters: 27 of those 105 adverts mention a driving licence. So put your licence class on your CV, even if you aren't applying to drive.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026. Each figure keeps the period and scope of its source.
- Ministry of Labour: statement on bus and truck drivers' wages, 11 April 2025
- Truck and Bus Drivers Order, SI 106 of 2020, for what truck and bus mean
- Minimum Wages and Conditions of Employment (General) Order, SI 48 of 2023
- Shop Workers Order, SI 50 of 2023
- Employment Code Act No. 3 of 2019, sections 74 and 75
- ZRA: Pay As You Earn, 2026 bands