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How to become a truck driver in California
The California DMV issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 (intrastate) or 21 (interstate or hazmat), hold a DOT medical certificate, and complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training plus California's 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California earned a median $60,230 a year in May 2025 ($28.96 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in California
The licensing authority is California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The pages each row was read from are listed under the table, with the date each was read.
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) | Hold a standard California noncommercial Class C driver's license, have a medical examination (for an interstate driver the examiner sends the Medical Examination Report and Medical Examiner's Certificate to DMV electronically; an intrastate driver may submit them), pass the knowledge test(s) (three attempts each), and hold the CLP at least 14 days before the skills test. | — | CDL knowledge test(s) | not published |
| Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT, federal) | Since February 7, 2022, first-time Class A or B CDL applicants (and Class B holders upgrading to Class A) must complete the training with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before obtaining the CDL. | — | — | not published |
| Class A CDL | After 14 days on the CLP, complete ELDT and a minimum of 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training, 10 of them on a public road, California's own requirement (form DL 1236), then pass the skills test (vehicle inspection, basic control, road test; three tries). Class A covers combinations of 26,001 lbs or more towing a unit over 10,000 lbs. | — | CDL skills/driving test | $100 |
Reciprocity. You must obtain a CDL through your home state; it is illegal to hold a driver's license from more than one state.
Licensing sources: California DMV Commercial Driver's Licenses (retrieved 2026-09-24) · FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training (retrieved 2026-09-16) · California DMV: licensing fees (retrieved 2026-09-23) · FMCSA Training Provider Registry: ELDT applicability (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 49 CFR 383.91 (commercial motor vehicle groups) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before you act.
The steps in order, with exams, fees and renewal → · Every fee here, itemised and totalled → · Compare time and cost across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as a truck driver in California?
The California DMV issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 (intrastate) or 21 (interstate or hazmat), hold a DOT medical certificate, and complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training plus California's 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in California?
The published fee in the table above is $100. Read each tier's requirements for any exam or license-issue fee charged on top.
How long does it take to become a truck driver in California?
It depends on which credential you need and the training and testing each step takes; the full path is in the table above.
How much do truck drivers make in California?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California earned a median $60,230 a year in May 2025, $28.96 an hour. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and California ranks 19 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in California?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in California under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 473 apprentices started, at a median $16.66 an hour across the 473 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $20.08 an hour at completion (71 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in California
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in California earned a median $60,230 a year in May 2025, $28.96 an hour. 205,090 people held the job, 11.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and California ranks 19 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in California
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.11 | $41,830 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.43 | $48,740 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.96 | $60,230 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $34.77 | $72,330 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $39.41 | $81,960 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.82 | $62,020 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in California
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA employs the most truck drivers of the 25 metro areas based in California that BLS publishes, 61,270, at a median $60,340 a year. The best-paid is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $70,730.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 61,270 | $60,340 | $42,910 | $80,120 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 40,230 | $60,580 | $39,320 | $97,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 16,450 | $66,450 | $48,300 | $94,280 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 10,960 | $60,810 | $44,000 | $81,030 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 10,440 | $59,780 | $40,880 | $78,250 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 10,110 | $60,470 | $40,500 | $80,070 |
| Fresno, CA | 8,170 | $55,740 | $36,620 | $76,580 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 7,050 | $57,690 | $38,490 | $74,870 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 5,360 | $70,730 | $48,280 | $94,620 |
| Modesto, CA | 3,510 | $58,330 | $38,530 | $78,030 |
| Visalia, CA | 3,060 | $51,530 | $36,010 | $89,030 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 3,020 | $59,120 | $39,590 | $76,910 |
| Vallejo, CA | 2,380 | $61,540 | $43,530 | $80,370 |
| Salinas, CA | 2,140 | $53,390 | $38,480 | $76,970 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 1,860 | $62,620 | $46,380 | $80,190 |
| Yuba City, CA | 1,790 | $58,230 | $43,660 | $73,670 |
| Merced, CA | 1,710 | $55,630 | $36,470 | $83,810 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 1,550 | $55,910 | $37,770 | $77,270 |
| El Centro, CA | 1,130 | $55,140 | $37,870 | $75,380 |
| Redding, CA | 940 | $57,350 | $39,490 | $74,400 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 810 | $48,110 | $36,730 | $78,890 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 750 | $59,500 | $39,120 | $81,470 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 720 | $60,380 | $40,690 | $76,250 |
| Chico, CA | 650 | $57,480 | $39,930 | $73,220 |
| Napa, CA | 600 | $60,860 | $46,190 | $79,860 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown.
California against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Wyoming | $60,310 | 6,050 |
| 17 | Indiana | $60,290 | 59,090 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $60,280 | 6,960 |
| 19 | California | $60,230 | 205,090 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $60,190 | 3,620 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $59,820 | 4,070 |
| 22 | Ohio | $59,800 | 83,060 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $60,230 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $28.96 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $41,830 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $81,960 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 205,090 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in California
U.S. Department of Labor records list 478 registered apprentices active in California in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (SOC 53-3032). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023, the latest year the file holds in full, 473 apprentices started, at a median $16.66 an hour across the 473 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $20.08 an hour at completion (71 completers with an exit wage DOL counts).
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in California
Electricians ($76,160) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($72,830) · HVAC technicians ($72,560) · Welders ($58,060) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($129,040) · Elevator installers ($141,180) · Ironworkers ($76,370) · Sheet metal workers ($76,590) · Carpenters ($75,920) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($69,050) · Auto service technicians ($64,980) · Diesel mechanics ($73,950) · Heavy equipment operators ($87,160) · Machinists ($57,190)
See all 15 ranked by pay in California.
The pay and employment figures on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; the licensing detail is read from the pages listed in the licensing section, each with the date it was read. See how the numbers are built.