GF Blue logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Public Sector Fleet Manager Salaries Rise Slightly

Most respondents in Government Fleet’s biennial Industry Handbook survey saw at least a minor salary increase. A breakdown and analysis of the data.

Christy Grimes
Christy GrimesFormer Senior Editor
November 28, 2023
Public Sector Fleet Manager Salaries Rise Slightly

More than half of respondents — 56.45% — make less than $100,001 annually.

Photo: Canva/Government Fleet

2 min to read


The 2023 Salaries survey in Government Fleet’s biennial Industry Handbook for public sector fleet managers provided a clear picture of what fleet managers are seeing on their paychecks.

The handbook can act as a good general gauge for the state of the industry, but there are a few things to keep in mind, including the respondents’ backgrounds.

Ad Loading...

Experienced Fleet Managers Make Up Majority of Survey Respondents

The vast majority of respondents have been in the workforce for several decades. Here’s how the age groups break down, based on what generation the respondents identify with:

  • Baby Boomer (born 1946-1964): 36.36%.

  • Generation X (born 1965-1980): 54.55%.

  • Millennial (born 1981-1994): 9.09%.

Additionally, the state where the most fleet managers responded to the survey from was California. The other state with the most respondents was Florida. Both age and geographical location can affect salary.

The average salary of fleet manager survey respondents was $105,080.65. Overall, that’s 6.45% higher than the average reported in 2021 — $98,514.

Breaking Down the Salaries

Nearly 13% of respondents make more than $150,000 annually. That’s the range that represented the highest number of survey respondents. After that was $65,001-$70,000, which represented 9.68% of respondents. Tied for third was 8.06% of respondents each making between $80,001-$85,000 and $100,001-$105,000.

Ad Loading...

More than half of respondents — 56.45% — make less than $100,001 annually.

Are Fleet Managers Seeing Raises?

Most survey respondents saw at least some sort of salary change within the last year. Nearly 41% of respondents had an increase of up to 3%, while almost 40% of respondents received a salary increase between 4% and 6%. Just over 3% of those surveyed saw an increase of 7% or more.

Still, 13.64% of respondents saw no change to their salary in the last year. Another 1.52% of respondents had a decrease of 7% or more.

Most survey respondents saw at least some sort of salary change within the last year.

Photo: Canva/Government Fleet

About the Data

In June and July 2023, Government Fleet magazine solicited responses to a biennial survey from its readership, receiving 81 qualified responses from a diverse group of public fleet professionals.

The information and analysis above come from this opt-in survey.

Ad Loading...

Want to participate in Government Fleet’s next survey? Government Fleet is teaming up with Work Truck and Automotive Fleet to conduct a salary survey for fleet managers to determine the average salary for a fleet management position in both commercial and public sector fleets. The deadline for responses is Jan. 31, 2024.

Check out more from the Industry Handbook here.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Operations

A youtube graphic for the government fleet cheat sheet.
OperationsSeptember 5, 2026

AI, Police Fleet Readiness and Fire Apparatus News

See how AI, a reworked police-vehicle upfitting process, and a fire apparatus acquisition could affect public fleet operations.

Read More →
Zonar Whitepaper Cover Stay ready, set and safer with verified fleet inspections.
SponsoredSeptember 4, 2026

Stay ready, set and safer with verified fleet inspections.

When fleet inspections aren’t verifiable, missed defects can quickly become downtime, safety risks, and service delays. This white paper shows government and municipal fleet leaders how digital inspections can improve accountability, catch issues earlier, and keep vehicles ready when they’re needed most.

Read More →
A man at a computer.
OperationsSeptember 3, 2026

How AI and Automation Work Together to Reduce Government Fleet Downtime 

As their assets age and their budgets’ purchasing power shrinks, government fleet managers are facing growing pressure to do more with less.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A youtube graphic with fleet images.
OperationsSeptember 1, 2026

Police Fleet Innovation, EV Strategy and AI

See how public fleets are rethinking police vehicle readiness, electrification, workplace culture, and driver workflows.

Read More →
Wooden figures on a corkboard
Operationsby Jeanny AbrahamSeptember 1, 2026

From What He Inherited to What He’ll Leave Behind: David Renschler’s Lessons in Leadership

David Renschler walked into Fairfield with plenty to learn and no idea what awaited him. Twenty years later, the lessons from what came next are still shaping his approach to fleet.

Read More →
Tallahassee Police Fleet Innovator
Operationsby Jeanny AbrahamAugust 31, 2026

Turning a Bottleneck Into a Blueprint: How Tallahassee Rethought Police Fleet Readiness

For Tallahassee, finally receiving 87 delayed police cruisers created a new problem: how to get them on the road without creating a massive backlog. The solution would change more than the upfit process.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A youtube graphic with fleet images.
OperationsAugust 31, 2026

Have Fleets Changed Enough to Solve the Technician Shortage?

Are government fleets finally closing the gap on the technician shortage, or are critical challenges still holding them back?

Read More →
A cheat sheet thumbnail with images of a checklist and police lights.
OperationsAugust 28, 2026

How Public Fleets Are Rethinking Vehicles, EVs, and Culture

From mission-specific vehicles to EV planning and culture change, this week’s stories show how public fleets are rethinking the way they operate.

Read More →
Leading Fleets graphic with Salem Oregon.
Operationsby Nichole OsinskiAugust 24, 2026

How Salem, Oregon, Turned Culture Change Into a No. 1 Fleet Ranking

Fleet availability reached 98.95% after Salem empowered employees and used performance data to guide years of steady improvement.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A graphic for youtube cheat sheet.
OperationsAugust 22, 2026

EV Shifts, Salem’s Rise and GFX 2027

From hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles, to the changes that helped Salem, Oregon, become the No. 1 Leading Fleet.

Read More →