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How to become a truck driver in North Carolina
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must hold a DOT medical certificate and, for a first-time CDL, complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training. State application fees apply; check the NCDMV for the current amount. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in North Carolina earned a median $51,530 a year in May 2025 ($24.77 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in North Carolina
The licensing authority is North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). 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 (NCDMV) | A CDL is issued by your home state's DMV. In North Carolina: pass the knowledge test for a commercial learner's permit and hold it at least 14 days. A DOT medical certificate is required. | — | CDL knowledge test | 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 the skills test. | — | — | not published |
| Class A CDL (NCDMV) | After the permit and ELDT, pass the CDL skills test (pre-trip inspection, basic control, road test); North Carolina issues the CDL. | — | CDL skills test | not published |
Licensing sources: NCDMV Commercial Drivers License (retrieved 2026-09-16) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-16) · 49 CFR 383.25 (commercial learner's permit) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · FMCSA: Commercial Driver's License Program (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) 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 North Carolina?
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must hold a DOT medical certificate and, for a first-time CDL, complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training. State application fees apply; check the NCDMV for the current amount.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in North Carolina?
Fees are set by the issuing authority; each tier's fee, where published, is in the table above.
How long does it take to become a truck driver in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in North Carolina earned a median $51,530 a year in May 2025, $24.77 an hour. That median is 12% below the national figure of $58,640, and North Carolina ranks 46 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in North Carolina?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in North Carolina under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 243 apprentices started, at a median $11.50 an hour across the 243 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 46 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 North Carolina
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in North Carolina earned a median $51,530 a year in May 2025, $24.77 an hour. 62,400 people held the job, 12.6 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 12% below the national figure of $58,640, and North Carolina ranks 46 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in North Carolina
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.94 | $39,400 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.27 | $46,320 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $24.77 | $51,530 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $30.12 | $62,640 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $36.71 | $76,360 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $26.83 | $55,810 | 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 North Carolina
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC employs the most truck drivers of the 15 metro areas based in North Carolina that BLS publishes, 18,700, at a median $56,120 a year. The best-paid is Greensboro-High Point, NC at $58,480.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 18,700 | $56,120 | $44,240 | $77,490 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 7,210 | $52,110 | $40,030 | $73,810 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 6,480 | $58,480 | $40,350 | $80,560 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 3,480 | $51,320 | $38,300 | $75,850 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 3,050 | $57,460 | $40,640 | $78,410 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 2,130 | $53,280 | $41,810 | $78,990 |
| Asheville, NC | 2,040 | $51,750 | $40,770 | $72,250 |
| Wilmington, NC | 1,840 | $48,850 | $37,210 | $71,480 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 1,400 | $49,980 | $39,380 | $65,380 |
| Burlington, NC | 1,020 | $56,290 | $39,870 | $94,000 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 840 | $48,090 | $38,660 | $84,510 |
| Greenville, NC | 500 | $48,980 | $36,540 | $72,250 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 400 | $47,140 | $37,350 | $72,210 |
| Jacksonville, NC | 360 | $45,640 | $35,150 | $58,760 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 220 | $48,860 | $38,600 | $74,640 |
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 North Carolina: Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
North Carolina against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Alabama | $52,120 | 36,650 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $51,820 | 24,160 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $51,550 | 32,220 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $51,530 | 62,400 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $51,130 | 34,170 |
| 48 | Florida | $50,640 | 112,920 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $50,500 | 11,820 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $51,530 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $24.77 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $39,400 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $76,360 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 62,400 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in North Carolina
U.S. Department of Labor records list 146 registered apprentices active in North Carolina 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, 243 apprentices started, at a median $11.50 an hour across the 243 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 46 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 North Carolina
Electricians ($56,800) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($57,080) · HVAC technicians ($57,260) · Welders ($50,590) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($77,270) · Elevator installers ($107,700) · Ironworkers ($48,740) · Sheet metal workers ($50,730) · Carpenters ($49,100) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($49,940) · Auto service technicians ($48,200) · Diesel mechanics ($57,490) · Heavy equipment operators ($49,310) · Machinists ($55,230)
See all 15 ranked by pay in North Carolina.
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.