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How to become a truck driver in New Jersey
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you need a basic New Jersey driver license and must be 18 (21 for interstate driving), and a first-time CDL applicant completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in New Jersey earned a median $63,570 a year in May 2025 ($30.56 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in New Jersey
The licensing authority is New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). 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) | At least 18 with a basic New Jersey Class D license, 20/40 vision in each eye and the CDL self-certification (with a medical examiner's certificate where required). Pay the $125 non-refundable commercial examination test receipt fee and pass the knowledge test to receive the CLP; wait at least 14 days before the skills test unless waived. | — | CDL knowledge test | $125 |
| 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 taking the skills test. | — | — | not published |
| Class A CDL | Complete Entry-Level Driver Training, then pass the skills test by appointment. The four-year CDL costs $42 plus $2 for each endorsement; a first CDL is prorated to expire with your basic license. | — | CDL skills test | $42 |
Renewal. Every four years, in person ($42).
Licensing sources: NJ MVC: Getting your Commercial Driver License (CDL) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) 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 New Jersey?
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you need a basic New Jersey driver license and must be 18 (21 for interstate driving), and a first-time CDL applicant completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in New Jersey?
The published fees in the table above run from $42 to $125 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 New Jersey?
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 New Jersey?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in New Jersey earned a median $63,570 a year in May 2025, $30.56 an hour. That median is 8% above the national figure of $58,640, and New Jersey ranks 4 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in New Jersey?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in New Jersey under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 388 apprentices started, at a median $15.50 an hour across the 388 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 7 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 New Jersey
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in New Jersey earned a median $63,570 a year in May 2025, $30.56 an hour. 47,980 people held the job, 11.2 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 8% above the national figure of $58,640, and New Jersey ranks 4 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in New Jersey
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.05 | $47,950 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.59 | $57,400 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $30.56 | $63,570 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $36.75 | $76,450 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $43.42 | $90,310 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $32.10 | $66,770 | 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 New Jersey
Trenton-Princeton, NJ employs the most truck drivers of the 3 metro areas based in New Jersey that BLS publishes, 1,230, at a median $59,460 a year. The best-paid is Vineland, NJ at $60,360.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 1,230 | $59,460 | $47,950 | $78,310 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 940 | $58,770 | $44,600 | $75,530 |
| Vineland, NJ | 920 | $60,360 | $48,400 | $79,520 |
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 New Jersey: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ.
New Jersey against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $70,100 | 3,420 |
| 2 | Washington | $64,760 | 40,530 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $64,170 | 830 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $63,570 | 47,980 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $63,030 | 30,890 |
| 6 | Nevada | $62,290 | 15,010 |
| 7 | New York | $62,050 | 63,700 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $63,570 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $30.56 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $47,950 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $90,310 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 47,980 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in New Jersey
U.S. Department of Labor records list 429 registered apprentices active in New Jersey 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, 388 apprentices started, at a median $15.50 an hour across the 388 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 7 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 New Jersey
Electricians ($77,250) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($78,240) · HVAC technicians ($74,450) · Welders ($59,440) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($121,580) · Elevator installers ($137,920) · Ironworkers ($113,220) · Sheet metal workers ($92,840) · Carpenters ($64,010) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($77,010) · Auto service technicians ($56,610) · Diesel mechanics ($72,340) · Heavy equipment operators ($89,660) · Machinists ($63,190)
See all 15 ranked by pay in New Jersey.
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.