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How to become a truck driver in Missouri
Missouri's Department of Revenue issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be at least 18, drivers in non-excepted commerce need a DOT Medical Examiner's Certificate before the CLP or CDL is issued, and first-time applicants complete Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Missouri earned a median $54,550 a year in May 2025 ($26.23 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Missouri
The licensing authority is Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle and Driver Licensing. 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) | Take the written examination; drivers in non-excepted interstate or intrastate commerce need a DOT Medical Examiner's Certificate first. The CLP costs $44, which includes the $25 written test fee, a $10 permit fee and a $9 office processing fee; hold it at least 14 days before the skills test. | — | CDL written (knowledge) tests | $44 |
| Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT, federal) | First-time Class A or B CDL applicants (and Class B holders upgrading to Class A) complete Entry-Level Driver Training from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before the skills test. | — | — | not published |
| Class A CDL | Pass the skills test after holding the CLP at least 14 days. Most first-time applicants with a valid CLP pay about $83: a $25 skills test fee, a $40 license fee for a 3- to 6-year term and an $18 office processing fee; the fee differs with the term. | — | CDL skills test | about $83; varies with the license term |
Licensing sources: Missouri Department of Revenue: commercial drivers (retrieved 2026-09-23) · FMCSA Training Provider Registry: ELDT applicability (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle and Driver Licensing 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 Missouri?
Missouri's Department of Revenue issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be at least 18, drivers in non-excepted commerce need a DOT Medical Examiner's Certificate before the CLP or CDL is issued, and first-time applicants complete Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Missouri?
The published fee in the table above is $44. 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 Missouri?
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 Missouri?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Missouri earned a median $54,550 a year in May 2025, $26.23 an hour. That median is 7% below the national figure of $58,640, and Missouri ranks 41 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Missouri?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Missouri under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 386 apprentices started, at a median $17.28 an hour across the 386 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 49 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs. Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in Missouri
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Missouri earned a median $54,550 a year in May 2025, $26.23 an hour. 47,760 people held the job, 16.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 7% below the national figure of $58,640, and Missouri ranks 41 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Missouri
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.20 | $37,860 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.19 | $46,140 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $26.23 | $54,550 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $30.48 | $63,400 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.27 | $77,510 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.32 | $56,830 | 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 Missouri
St. Louis, MO-IL employs the most truck drivers of the 8 metro areas based in Missouri that BLS publishes, 18,270, at a median $58,240 a year. The best-paid is Kansas City, MO-KS at $60,170.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 18,270 | $58,240 | $40,540 | $79,300 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 18,230 | $60,170 | $44,070 | $80,900 |
| Springfield, MO | 6,790 | $56,070 | $38,110 | $80,830 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | 3,470 | $47,430 | $39,350 | $72,000 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 980 | $48,860 | $39,400 | $76,630 |
| Columbia, MO | 850 | $52,820 | $37,670 | $74,590 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | 850 | $56,330 | $38,490 | $76,870 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 730 | $50,200 | $36,900 | $77,050 |
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.
Missouri against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Virginia | $56,860 | 48,750 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $56,340 | 31,760 |
| 40 | Texas | $56,290 | 209,680 |
| 41 | Missouri | $54,550 | 47,760 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $54,410 | 27,840 |
| 43 | Alabama | $52,120 | 36,650 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $51,820 | 24,160 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $54,550 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $26.23 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,860 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $77,510 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 47,760 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Missouri
U.S. Department of Labor records list 417 registered apprentices active in Missouri 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, 386 apprentices started, at a median $17.28 an hour across the 386 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 49 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
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 Missouri
Electricians ($65,410) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($66,790) · HVAC technicians ($59,950) · Welders ($51,950) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($96,360) · Elevator installers ($126,750) · Ironworkers ($77,410) · Sheet metal workers ($63,560) · Carpenters ($60,840) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($72,370) · Auto service technicians ($49,160) · Diesel mechanics ($59,360) · Heavy equipment operators ($60,540) · Machinists ($58,710)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Missouri.
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.