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How to become a truck driver in Georgia
The Georgia Department of Driver Services issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 (21 for interstate), hold a DOT medical certificate, and complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Georgia earned a median $57,050 a year in May 2025 ($27.43 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Georgia
The licensing authority is Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS). 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) | Be at least 18; provide identity, Social Security number, two proofs of Georgia residency and a valid Georgia license; pass a vision exam, complete the Commercial Application (CAP, $35, good for four test attempts; waived for veterans and school bus drivers with the required waiver) and pass the knowledge tests ($10 permit fee, retained as a testing fee if an exam is not passed). Hold the CLP at least 14 days before the CDL. | — | CDL knowledge test | $45 |
| 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 the skills test. | — | — | not published |
| Class A CDL | Hold the CLP at least 14 days, complete ELDT, then pass the CDL road skills test (pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control, on-road) in a representative Class A vehicle. Fees: $50 for the road skills test and $32 for the CDL, which runs eight years. | — | CDL skills test | $82 |
Renewal. Every 8 years.
Licensing sources: Georgia DDS CDL Permit (retrieved 2026-09-16) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-16) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Georgia DDS: fees and terms (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) 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 Georgia?
The Georgia Department of Driver Services issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 (21 for interstate), hold a DOT medical certificate, and complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Georgia?
The published fees in the table above run from $45 to $82 depending on the tier. 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 Georgia?
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 Georgia?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Georgia earned a median $57,050 a year in May 2025, $27.43 an hour. That median is 3% below the national figure of $58,640, and Georgia ranks 36 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Georgia?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Georgia under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 514 apprentices started, at a median $12.87 an hour across the 514 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $21.23 an hour at completion (98 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in Georgia
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Georgia earned a median $57,050 a year in May 2025, $27.43 an hour. 74,840 people held the job, 15.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% below the national figure of $58,640, and Georgia ranks 36 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Georgia
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.34 | $38,150 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $21.97 | $45,700 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $27.43 | $57,050 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $33.07 | $68,780 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.45 | $77,900 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.78 | $57,780 | 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 Georgia
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA employs the most truck drivers of the 14 metro areas based in Georgia that BLS publishes, 41,830, at a median $59,100 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 41,830 | $59,100 | $40,900 | $77,750 |
| Savannah, GA | 4,410 | $58,930 | $38,750 | $76,610 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 3,250 | $47,920 | $37,240 | $75,390 |
| Gainesville, GA | 2,170 | $56,770 | $39,670 | $87,670 |
| Dalton, GA | 1,540 | $53,760 | $38,160 | $73,050 |
| Albany, GA | 1,190 | $57,050 | $37,340 | $70,660 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 1,180 | $47,570 | $36,550 | $72,320 |
| Valdosta, GA | 1,110 | $47,880 | $36,570 | $76,270 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | 1,100 | $50,190 | $37,450 | $75,840 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 880 | $54,190 | $37,310 | $99,630 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | 510 | $49,980 | $37,360 | $76,470 |
| Warner Robins, GA | 490 | $50,990 | $38,210 | $73,670 |
| Rome, GA | 450 | $50,960 | $34,540 | $74,560 |
| Hinesville, GA | 180 | $49,220 | $37,810 | $77,920 |
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. Listed under another state but reaching into Georgia: Chattanooga, TN-GA.
Georgia against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Iowa | $58,070 | 35,040 |
| 34 | Delaware | $57,590 | 9,040 |
| 35 | Michigan | $57,180 | 60,800 |
| 36 | Georgia | $57,050 | 74,840 |
| 36 | Maine | $57,050 | 9,980 |
| 38 | Virginia | $56,860 | 48,750 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $56,340 | 31,760 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $57,050 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $27.43 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $38,150 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $77,900 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 74,840 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Georgia
U.S. Department of Labor records list 366 registered apprentices active in Georgia 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, 514 apprentices started, at a median $12.87 an hour across the 514 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $21.23 an hour at completion (98 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 Georgia
Electricians ($58,320) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($57,200) · HVAC technicians ($56,390) · Welders ($48,430) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($80,080) · Elevator installers ($83,500) · Ironworkers ($48,090) · Sheet metal workers ($56,800) · Carpenters ($49,350) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($50,650) · Auto service technicians ($49,060) · Diesel mechanics ($61,370) · Heavy equipment operators ($47,880) · Machinists ($52,610)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Georgia.
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.