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How to become a truck driver in Virginia
The Virginia DMV issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 for a CDL used within Virginia and 21 for interstate driving, hold a commercial learner's permit at least 14 days, and complete Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Virginia earned a median $56,860 a year in May 2025 ($27.34 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Virginia
The licensing authority is Virginia 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) | Certify your category of commercial driving on the application; a non-excepted driver also needs a DOT medical examiner's certificate from an examiner on the FMCSA National Registry, who submits it electronically. Pass the knowledge exams to receive the CLP, which lets you drive a commercial vehicle only when a person licensed to drive the same type of vehicle is with you. Hold it at least 14 days before the skills test; it is valid one year and cannot be renewed. The CLP costs $3. | — | CDL knowledge exams | $3 |
| 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 Entry-Level Driver Training, pass the road skills test. A standard CDL with no endorsements costs $64 and is valid eight years; endorsements add $1 a year. | — | CDL road skills test | $64 |
Renewal. Typically every eight years (the CDL expires on your birthday).
Licensing sources: Virginia DMV: applying for a CDL (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Virginia DMV: CDL medical certification requirements (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 Virginia 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 Virginia?
The Virginia DMV issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: you must be 18 for a CDL used within Virginia and 21 for interstate driving, hold a commercial learner's permit at least 14 days, and complete Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Virginia?
The published fees in the table above run from $3 to $64 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 Virginia?
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 Virginia?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Virginia earned a median $56,860 a year in May 2025, $27.34 an hour. That median is 3% below the national figure of $58,640, and Virginia ranks 38 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Virginia?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Virginia under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 170 apprentices started, at a median $15.03 an hour across the 170 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 Virginia
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Virginia earned a median $56,860 a year in May 2025, $27.34 an hour. 48,750 people held the job, 11.9 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% below the national figure of $58,640, and Virginia ranks 38 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Virginia
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.36 | $38,180 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.54 | $46,880 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $27.34 | $56,860 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $30.38 | $63,200 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.04 | $77,040 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.78 | $57,770 | 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 Virginia
Richmond, VA employs the most truck drivers of the 9 metro areas based in Virginia that BLS publishes, 11,760, at a median $58,190 a year. The best-paid is Harrisonburg, VA at $58,660.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | 11,760 | $58,190 | $37,190 | $94,450 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 7,460 | $50,460 | $38,180 | $71,930 |
| Roanoke, VA | 2,760 | $56,430 | $37,700 | $97,050 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 1,460 | $57,460 | $39,160 | $76,840 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 1,410 | $55,020 | $37,720 | $71,690 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 1,290 | $58,660 | $44,150 | $71,920 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 1,140 | $57,200 | $39,060 | $73,400 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 920 | $53,980 | $37,910 | $76,040 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 630 | $54,970 | $38,540 | $66,180 |
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 Virginia: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.
Virginia against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Michigan | $57,180 | 60,800 |
| 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 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $56,860 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $27.34 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $38,180 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $77,040 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 48,750 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Virginia
U.S. Department of Labor records list 129 registered apprentices active in Virginia 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, 170 apprentices started, at a median $15.03 an hour across the 170 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 Virginia
Electricians ($62,900) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($60,470) · HVAC technicians ($59,730) · Welders ($59,180) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($76,590) · Elevator installers ($108,250) · Ironworkers ($60,260) · Sheet metal workers ($52,220) · Carpenters ($55,690) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($54,680) · Auto service technicians ($59,330) · Diesel mechanics ($61,090) · Heavy equipment operators ($57,160) · Machinists ($61,290)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Virginia.
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.