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How to become a truck driver in Texas
In Texas the Department of Public Safety issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 to drive within Texas (21 for interstate or hazmat), carry a DOT medical certificate, and complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Texas earned a median $56,290 a year in May 2025 ($27.06 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Texas
The licensing authority is Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). 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 Texas driver license, prove identity and lawful presence, self-certify your medical status (and submit a DOT medical examiner's certificate where required), then pass the vision exam and the knowledge tests. Hold the CLP at least 14 days before the skills test; it is valid 180 days or until your Texas driver license expires, whichever comes first. | — | CDL knowledge tests (general knowledge, combination, air brakes, endorsements) | $25 |
| 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 | After 14 days on the CLP and completing ELDT, supply a representative vehicle and pass the skills test. Class A covers combinations of 26,001 lbs or more towing a unit over 10,000 lbs. | — | CDL skills test (pre-trip inspection, basic control, road test) | $97 |
Reciprocity. A Texas CDL lets you drive commercial vehicles across the United States; a driver may hold only one license (the federal single-license rule).
Renewal. Every 8 years (ages 18 to 84).
Licensing sources: Texas DPS: how to apply for a CDL (retrieved 2026-09-24) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-16) · Texas DPS: driver license fees (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) 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 Texas?
In Texas the Department of Public Safety issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 to drive within Texas (21 for interstate or hazmat), carry 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 Texas?
The published fees in the table above run from $25 to $97 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 Texas?
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 Texas?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Texas earned a median $56,290 a year in May 2025, $27.06 an hour. That median is 4% below the national figure of $58,640, and Texas ranks 40 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Texas?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Texas under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 621 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 608 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $20.08 an hour at completion (209 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in Texas
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Texas earned a median $56,290 a year in May 2025, $27.06 an hour. 209,680 people held the job, 14.9 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 4% below the national figure of $58,640, and Texas ranks 40 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Texas
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.34 | $38,150 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.44 | $46,680 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $27.06 | $56,290 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $31.17 | $64,820 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $38.17 | $79,400 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.88 | $57,990 | 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 Texas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX employs the most truck drivers of the 26 metro areas based in Texas that BLS publishes, 55,670, at a median $59,530 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 55,670 | $59,530 | $42,810 | $91,990 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 49,750 | $56,840 | $38,320 | $79,490 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 13,710 | $53,650 | $38,560 | $76,840 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 10,760 | $57,110 | $42,300 | $78,210 |
| El Paso, TX | 7,850 | $49,270 | $36,310 | $74,800 |
| Laredo, TX | 5,460 | $49,010 | $32,080 | $74,640 |
| Midland, TX | 4,540 | $58,200 | $46,310 | $78,190 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 4,390 | $47,040 | $31,250 | $71,050 |
| Odessa, TX | 3,190 | $58,370 | $40,480 | $77,930 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 2,570 | $49,000 | $34,990 | $73,900 |
| Longview, TX | 2,290 | $51,990 | $37,310 | $78,940 |
| Amarillo, TX | 2,230 | $54,290 | $38,690 | $81,690 |
| Lubbock, TX | 2,200 | $49,080 | $37,090 | $80,360 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 2,100 | $54,900 | $37,130 | $76,580 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 1,940 | $57,040 | $37,670 | $99,200 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 1,660 | $48,550 | $30,740 | $72,400 |
| Waco, TX | 1,640 | $48,780 | $38,220 | $74,800 |
| Tyler, TX | 1,490 | $51,290 | $38,680 | $71,630 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 1,230 | $49,540 | $36,610 | $71,690 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 1,190 | $49,050 | $34,560 | $76,330 |
| Abilene, TX | 1,090 | $54,720 | $38,180 | $77,630 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 670 | $55,270 | $38,360 | $75,440 |
| San Angelo, TX | 660 | $48,230 | $36,780 | $75,670 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 620 | $50,600 | $36,780 | $72,070 |
| Victoria, TX | 570 | $51,150 | $36,220 | $72,640 |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 250 | $58,600 | $34,090 | $75,700 |
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.
Texas against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Georgia | $57,050 | 74,840 |
| 36 | Maine | $57,050 | 9,980 |
| 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 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $56,290 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $27.06 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $38,150 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $79,400 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 209,680 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Texas
U.S. Department of Labor records list 830 registered apprentices active in Texas 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, 621 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 608 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $20.08 an hour at completion (209 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 Texas
Electricians ($58,570) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($59,840) · HVAC technicians ($57,760) · Welders ($53,340) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($78,940) · Elevator installers ($102,140) · Ironworkers ($52,240) · Sheet metal workers ($54,240) · Carpenters ($48,900) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($56,410) · Auto service technicians ($48,310) · Diesel mechanics ($58,810) · Heavy equipment operators ($50,460) · Machinists ($59,180)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Texas.
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.