How Much Do Monster Truck Drivers Make?

Are you a monster truck enthusiast who has a passion for those heavy-duty suspension trucks? If so you might have thought of doing this professionally at one point. 

But as with any kind of career choice, the salary is probably one of the most important aspects to consider. Which is why you might’ve had this question coming to your mind, how much do monster truck drivers make?

In general, the salary range for a monster truck driver is from $10,000 to $280,000 depending on many factors. If you want details about a career as a monster truck driver, read on!

How Much Does A Monster Jam Driver Make?

The average earning of a monster truck driver can range anywhere from $10,000 to $280,000. The amount is influenced by multiple different aspects. Monster Jam shows don’t offer cash prizes and instead pay drivers based on contract labor.

This is why the salaries are based on the popularity and experience of the driver and the team they work for and the organization they’re under. 

Understandably, drivers with less experience will be paid lower than more expert drivers with many years of experience. The longer time you are a part of the industry and the more shows you perform in will be proportional to the salary you will get.

Popularity is also an important factor with smaller teams containing lesser-known and new drivers and thus have lower popularity. More popular teams have experienced and expert players with many years in the industry. 

So if you’re just starting in a smaller team your salary will reflect that and as you climb the ladders and gain experience moving to a new more popular team or if your current team gains popularity your salary will increase accordingly. 

In the industry, it is the fans who hold the most power over how much money a monster truck driver may be making. With the right marketing strategies by the company, team, or industry big changes can be made in regards to salaries. 

As for traveling for shows, that costs are covered by the company they’re under. 

So, all these factors will affect your salary as a monster truck driver as well as if you choose to participate in inside gigs and merchandising. 

Organizations tend to not reveal how much they pay their highest drivers and most popular stars make their money from sponsorships. You will get sponsorships only when you gain experience and popularity. 

Monster Truck Drivers Salary With Pricing Table

As mentioned in the previous sections, factors such as experience, expertise, the team and company you’re under, industry circumstances, side-gigs, and merchandising affect the salary of a monster truck driver. 

But a summarized understanding of their salaries can be explained like this, 

Along with the base salary, bonuses and side-gigs can earn you some extra money depending on your activities. 

How Much Do Monster Truck Drivers Make Per Show?

As mentioned that average salaries of monster truck drivers depend largely on many factors but in general new drivers can expect to get paid around $2,000 to $6,000 per show they participate in. 

This rate increases as they gain more experience and popularity. For this, it’s better to look up monster truck fairs and rallies and start to participate. 

Cost Of A Monster Truck

The price of a monster truck that is ready to be used will be around $250,000. This is due to the components of a monster truck and their prices. An engine costs close to $40,000, body design $50,000, the cost of tires can range from $2000 – $3000 each, and even the average cost of painting a monster truck is $3,500. And the cost for maintenance is relative to the price of your monster truck. 

Read More: Cost to Paint a Truck 

Monster trucks aren’t manufactured like regular cars. They’re usually either custom-built or renovated from other trucks. 

So if you’re buying a used monster truck the cost can be anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000 depending on how old it is, how large it is, and it’s quality. 

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Monster Truck?         

If you want to go on a Do it yourself route and build yourself a monster truck, it can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000. This heavily depends on the kind of parts you are getting and their quality.

You have to buy all the parts necessary for your truck separately. Each come with their costs. 

Truck Body

The very first thing you’ll need to purchase is the truck body which can cost you anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. It will be much easier and cheaper for you if you get donor bodies from gutted pickup trucks with fitted machinery for monster trucks. Getting a used car that’s in good shape and can fit a heavy engine is good. 

Frame

The next thing you do is make the frame of your car. For this, it’s better to evaluate if you have proper experience of metal work because otherwise, it will be a difficult task. If you don’t it is better to contact companies to have these parts built for you. 

Tires

Then you need to look for tires. Monster trucks require tires such as flotation tires. These are very wide and heavy and keep hold of grip even if you are driving through loose dirt. 

These kinds of tires can cost $3,000 to $6,000 each so will cost you a total of approximately $12,000 to get all for your truck. 

Related: Cost To Replace A Tire Pressure Sensor

Engine

Then one of the most important parts is the engine. Monster trucks require engines that are way stronger than an average vehicle. Generally, at least engines that run 1,500 horsepower are required for monster trucks. Along with that, these engines need to be supercharged so that it is given more oxygen for combusting fuel. 

An engine for your monster truck can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 and it depends on if you’re getting a used or completely new engine. You must keep in mind to buy a supercharger kit along with your engine. 

Shock Absorbers

Monster trucks also require specially built shock absorbers for appropriate size and to be used for extreme impact. It is because monster trucks are more likely to come into hard impact with the ground than any other vehicle. Special shock absorbers for monster trucks can cost from $100 to $1,000. 

Other Necessary Items

And before you take your truck out for a drive after assembling all the mentioned things, there are still some things you should buy. These items can cost $5000 to $10,000 depending on which ones you buy. Extras like extinguishers, seat belts, custom-built seats, and remote harnesses make your ride smoother and more efficient. 

If you have contacted people who are willing to let go of their monster trucks at a decent price buying a monster truck in good shape is a good way to go. Building a truck can be expensive and it requires you to have extensive knowledge about the vehicle. Even a small mistake can cost you thousands of dollars in loss. 

But even so, if you want to work in the industry as a driver building your truck is one of the best ways to start. Building your truck can get you to achieve hands-on knowledge about the vehicle and its workings through a close and thorough inspection. 

You may find repair and maintenance easy since you’ve already dealt with the parts before and know their workings. And besides monster trucks in good shape are rare and hard to find. 

How To Become A Monster Truck Driver?

While there aren’t any rigid requirements to become a monster truck driver, but ideal candidates for a professional career have some suitable physical features such as having a height of 62 to 75 inches or 5 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 3 inches and weight anywhere from 120 pounds to 240 pounds. 

Other than that, you must obtain a commercial driving license that allows you to be eligible as a monster truck driver. At first, you have to give an exam and pass it and then get your permit to work on road skills and driving exam, almost similar to what is done in a regular driver’s license exam. 

You must know that to be a monster truck driver it is crucial to have an extensive understanding of automobiles and their inner workings. It is a complicated piece of the vehicle that requires proper expertise to be handled. 

Once you have secured your license, the next step is to start training with your vehicle. At first, to get a paid job as a monster truck driver you’d need to be working for a team. The best goal is to get to work in popular teams such as the Grave Digger. 

But these high-end major teams are very selective and impossible to start in as a beginner. So as you start your journey it is best to volunteer with a monster truck driver and eventually work your way up to potentially become an apprentice to them. 

This will also help you get enough mechanical knowledge about trucks and get your job experience first-hand and an understanding of the career. 

It is ideal to work as an apprentice for 1 to 2 years with a team before you can make your own team. So while you are working with a team as a beginner you should start networking within the monster truck industry and meeting others to build your connections. 

You need to showcase your passion for the sport and heightened enthusiasm needs to be displayed to bag sponsorships and investors into your team. You’ll need to attract them with your experience and passion to potentially fund your team. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Monster Trucks may be a vehicle of fascination for many. But to take up the role of a monster truck driver is much more serious. People who are genuinely interested to take up this career choice should be well aware of all the financial and legal aspects of this industry.

Starting from buying or building your monster truck, gaining enough knowledge and experience about the vehicle, earning your license, and getting on-field driving experience are a couple of starting point must-dos.

After that, participating in monster truck fairs and competitions, becoming part of a team, and starting under a company are the next steps. All of these will be reflected in your prospects. And depending on all these factors of popularity, experience, type of monster truck, your team and the company you’ll be under your salary will be mediated.

So, if you’ve had the question ‘how much do monster truck drivers make’, these aspects will help you make an estimated guess along with the specific information provided. 

Michael Rosales

Hello, I’m Michael Rosales an expert in cars. As a little boy, I have always loved cars. Over the years I became lucky to have the opportunity to work as a car dealer. It was at this stage I became vast in the knowledge of cars, things you need to know when buying cars and how to minimize cost while still getting your dream car.