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How to become a truck driver in New York
The New York State DMV issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must hold a DOT medical certificate and complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training. New York does not transfer an out-of-state CDL; you apply at a DMV office and surrender the old CDL. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in New York earned a median $62,050 a year in May 2025 ($29.83 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in New York
The licensing authority is New York State 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 New York driver license, certify you meet the federal medical examination requirements, and pass the written knowledge test for the class you need. | — | Written CDL knowledge test(s) | $10 |
| 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 state road test. | — | — | not published |
| Class A CDL | After the CLP, complete ELDT, practice with a qualified supervising driver, and pass the CDL road test (which cannot be scheduled within 14 days of the CLP). The $40 is the road test fee; the license fee varies by your current license. Class A covers tractor-trailers. | — | CDL road test | $40 |
Reciprocity. New York does not transfer an out-of-state CDL by reciprocity: you must apply at a DMV office and surrender your out-of-state CDL.
Renewal. Every 8 years (the standard New York license term; keep your DOT medical certification current separately).
Licensing sources: NY DMV: Get a Commercial Driver License (retrieved 2026-09-16) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-16). Requirements change; confirm with New York State 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 New York?
The New York State DMV issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must hold a DOT medical certificate and complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training. New York does not transfer an out-of-state CDL; you apply at a DMV office and surrender the old CDL.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in New York?
The published fees in the table above run from $10 to $40 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 York?
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 York?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in New York earned a median $62,050 a year in May 2025, $29.83 an hour. That median is 6% above the national figure of $58,640, and New York ranks 7 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in New York?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in New York under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 188 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 188 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 29 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 York
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in New York earned a median $62,050 a year in May 2025, $29.83 an hour. 63,700 people held the job, 6.6 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 6% above the national figure of $58,640, and New York ranks 7 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in New York
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.02 | $47,880 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $26.71 | $55,550 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.83 | $62,050 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.60 | $74,040 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $42.36 | $88,100 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $31.63 | $65,780 | 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 New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ employs the most truck drivers of the 13 metro areas based in New York that BLS publishes, 65,100, at a median $65,040 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 65,100 | $65,040 | $50,440 | $92,710 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 4,830 | $60,720 | $46,960 | $80,130 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 4,710 | $59,440 | $46,440 | $78,580 |
| Syracuse, NY | 4,120 | $61,330 | $47,070 | $85,490 |
| Rochester, NY | 4,020 | $58,920 | $46,400 | $76,940 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 3,330 | $62,760 | $48,750 | $78,830 |
| Binghamton, NY | 1,380 | $58,730 | $47,110 | $76,650 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 1,270 | $57,650 | $47,050 | $74,850 |
| Kingston, NY | 560 | $59,830 | $47,320 | $76,740 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 410 | $55,260 | $45,090 | $74,350 |
| Elmira, NY | 390 | $57,080 | $39,010 | $80,560 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 390 | $57,870 | $46,140 | $75,390 |
| Ithaca, NY | 190 | $56,130 | $47,380 | $73,620 |
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.
New York against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $61,990 | 38,770 |
| 9 | Oregon | $61,980 | 23,970 |
| 10 | Colorado | $61,500 | 25,350 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $62,050 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $29.83 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $47,880 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $88,100 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 63,700 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in New York
U.S. Department of Labor records list 73 registered apprentices active in New York 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, 188 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 188 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 29 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 York
Electricians ($78,750) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($77,490) · HVAC technicians ($74,430) · Welders ($59,140) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($121,280) · Elevator installers ($135,720) · Ironworkers ($92,610) · Sheet metal workers ($73,760) · Carpenters ($72,330) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($84,410) · Auto service technicians ($54,120) · Diesel mechanics ($70,100) · Heavy equipment operators ($80,980) · Machinists ($60,920)
See all 15 ranked by pay in New York.
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.