What are the main factors that influence a CDL Driver's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a CDL Driver's salary?

A CDL Driver's salary grows with experience: starting around $51,245 for beginners, reaching about $52,098 at mid-level, and approach $54,808 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a CDL Driver?

CDL Driver salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for CDL Driver roles are District of Columbia $58,972, California $58,749, Massachusetts $57,966. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of CDL Driver roles make?

Salaries for CDL Driver level roles vary by specialization: Truck Driver IV (CDL-A): $66,400; Truck Driver III (CDL-A): $60,090; hazmat cdl driver: $56,006; Truck Driver II (CDL-A): $53,703; Local Cdl Driver: $53,625.

How do different companies affect a CDL Driver's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for CDL Driver roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

CDL Driver Salary in the United States

How much does a CDL Driver make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a CDL Driver in the United States is $53,263 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.

However, a CDL Driver's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $65,071
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $48,474 to $59,443
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,115

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CDL Driver Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$59,443	$4,954	$1,143	$29
Average	$53,263	$4,439	$1,024	$26
25th Percentile	$48,474	$4,040	$932	$23

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Check out CDL Driver Job Openings in the United States

CDL Driver- Class A

Clean Harbors - LANCASTER, NY

CDL Driver- Class B

Clean Harbors - SCHENECTADY, NY

CDL A Driver

Mclane Company, Inc. - NICHOLASVILLE, KY

Experienced CDL A Driver

Mclane Company, Inc. - NICHOLASVILLE, KY

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Key Factors That Influence CDL Driver Salaries

A CDL Driver's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects CDL Driver Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a CDL Driver's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $51,245
Early Career (1-2 years): $51,600
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $52,098
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $52,990
Expert (over 8 years): $54,808

Levels	Salary
Entry Level CDL Driver	$51,245
Intermediate Level CDL Driver	$51,600
Senior Level CDL Driver	$52,098
Specialist Level CDL Driver	$52,990
Expert Level CDL Driver	$54,808

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What Am I Worth?

How Do CDL Driver Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract CDL Drivers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $58,972.
California: $58,749.
Massachusetts: $57,966.

District of Columbia $58,972 California $58,749 Massachusetts $57,966 Washington $57,753 New Jersey $57,731 Alaska $57,657 Connecticut $56,922 New York $56,623

Hawaii $55,670 Rhode Island $55,223 Maryland $54,919 Minnesota $54,504 Colorado $54,344 Illinois $54,290 Oregon $54,088 Delaware $53,939

New Hampshire $53,845 Virginia $53,635 Pennsylvania $53,023 Nevada $52,714 North Dakota $52,613 Michigan $52,453 Wisconsin $52,394 Vermont $52,277

Texas $51,952 Maine $51,931 Arizona $51,899 Ohio $51,862 Georgia $51,372 Indiana $51,127 Wyoming $51,079 Utah $51,004

Iowa $50,972 Kansas $50,717 Louisiana $50,642 North Carolina $50,615 Missouri $50,605 Florida $50,397 Montana $50,285 Nebraska $50,179

Kentucky $50,120 South Carolina $49,907 Tennessee $49,774 Idaho $49,721 New Mexico $49,332 Oklahoma $49,247 Alabama $48,932 South Dakota $48,405

Arkansas $48,117 West Virginia $47,963 Mississippi $47,499

Top Paying Cities for CDL Drivers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $67,180
San Francisco: $66,520
Oakland: $65,044

San Jose, CA $67,180

San Francisco, CA $66,520

Oakland, CA $65,044

New York, NY $61,726

Queens Village, NY $61,326

Paramus, NJ $60,900

Passaic, NJ $60,847

Bergenfield, NJ $60,794

Stamford, CT $60,714

Huntington, NY $60,661

Newark, NJ $60,314

Bridgeport, CT $60,208

New Brunswick, NJ $60,032

Vallejo, CA $59,920

Middlesex, NJ $59,888

Somerset, NJ $59,840

Petaluma, CA $59,718

Santa Cruz, CA $59,510

Boston, MA $59,404

Monterey, CA $59,137

Fairbanks, AK $59,100

Los Angeles, CA $58,999

Washington, DC $58,972

Seattle, WA $58,876

Santa Rosa, CA $58,866

Juneau, AK $58,711

Orange, CA $58,535

Anchorage, AK $58,440

Anaheim, CA $58,402

Santa Ana, CA $58,322

Nassau, NY $58,290

Long Beach, CA $58,269

Danbury, CT $58,253

Santa Maria, CA $58,072

Everett, WA $58,061

Bremerton, WA $57,800

Trenton, NJ $57,699

Sacramento, CA $57,678

San Diego, CA $57,651

Brockton, MA $57,630

Tacoma, WA $57,609

Santa Barbara, CA $57,534

Lowell, MA $57,321

New Suffolk, NY $57,300

Nashua, NH $57,236

Lompoc, CA $57,151

Ventura, CA $57,097

Stockton, CA $57,081

New Haven, CT $56,975

Atlantic City, NJ $56,836

Hartford, CT $56,719

Modesto, CA $56,693

Poughkeepsie, NY $56,575

New Britain, CT $56,549

Olympia, WA $56,474

Kennewick, WA $56,474

New London, CT $56,464

Norwich, CT $56,448

Lawrence, MA $56,421

Bakersfield, CA $56,272

Riverside, CA $56,197

New Bedford, MA $56,197

Richland, WA $56,144

Portsmouth, NH $56,101

Vineland, NJ $56,091

San Bernardino, CA $56,048

Boulder, CO $55,899

Worcester, MA $55,856

Portland, OR $55,808

Saint Paul, MN $55,745

Minneapolis, MN $55,745

Philadelphia, PA $55,670

Honolulu, HI $55,388

Springfield, MA $55,201

Providence, RI $55,196

Chicago, IL $55,041

Bellingham, WA $54,978

Baltimore, MD $54,919

Chico, CA $54,786

Wilmington, DE $54,695

Pittsfield, MA $54,642

Manchester, NH $54,541

Spokane, WA $54,306

Denver, CO $54,301

Albany, NY $54,051

Troy, NY $54,029

Schenectady, NY $53,918

Burlington, VT $53,800

Portland, ME $53,614

Salem, OR $53,571

Yakima, WA $53,561

Ann Arbor, MI $53,545

Rochester, MN $53,396

Fresno, CA $53,369

Reno, NV $53,369

Milwaukee, WI $53,321

Detroit, MI $53,268

Allentown, PA $53,252

Carson City, NV $53,247

Houston, TX $53,167

Colorado Springs, CO $53,161

Syracuse, NY $53,135

Eugene, OR $53,033

Bismarck, ND $52,970

Gary, IN $52,970

Galveston, TX $52,970

Springfield, OR $52,927

Medford, OR $52,799

Fort Collins, CO $52,778

Austin, TX $52,735

Mesa, AZ $52,623

Phoenix, AZ $52,613

Dallas, TX $52,597

Reading, PA $52,565

Saint Cloud, MN $52,543

Concord, NH $52,496

Madison, WI $52,474

Utica, NY $52,330

Raleigh, NC $52,288

Las Vegas, NV $52,282

Rochester, NY $52,245

Des Moines, IA $52,240

Atlanta, GA $52,155

Battle Creek, MI $52,139

Salt Lake City, UT $52,123

Lancaster, PA $52,043

Champaign, IL $52,032

Harrisburg, PA $51,968

Durham, NC $51,920

Kansas City, MO $51,915

Kansas City, KS $51,904

Fort Worth, TX $51,899

Boca Raton, FL $51,878

Cleveland, OH $51,872

Columbus, OH $51,862

Pittsburgh, PA $51,856

Richmond, VA $51,835

Indianapolis, IN $51,824

Cincinnati, OH $51,755

Petersburg, VA $51,675

Billings, MT $51,558

Lansing, MI $51,558

Huntsville, AL $51,558

Lebanon, PA $51,553

Dayton, OH $51,547

Pueblo, CO $51,547

Appleton, WI $51,531

Buffalo, NY $51,510

Racine, WI $51,484

Charlotte, NC $51,478

Saint Louis, MO $51,462

Springfield, IL $51,441

Elkhart, IN $51,430

York, PA $51,430

Gastonia, NC $51,425

Benton Harbor, MI $51,425

Beaumont, TX $51,393

Lorain, OH $51,382

Toledo, OH $51,361

Binghamton, NY $51,334

Rock Hill, SC $51,329

Rockford, IL $51,302

Fargo, ND $51,276

Elyria, OH $51,276

Flagstaff, AZ $51,239

Fort Lauderdale, FL $51,207

Miami, FL $51,175

Duluth, MN $51,089

Bangor, ME $51,020

Cedar Rapids, IA $50,962

Louisville, KY $50,935

Grand Rapids, MI $50,924

Hialeah, FL $50,919

Casper, WY $50,844

Scranton, PA $50,780

New Orleans, LA $50,764

Virginia Beach, VA $50,759

Akron, OH $50,733

Peoria, IL $50,663

Sarasota, FL $50,653

Green Bay, WI $50,615

Baton Rouge, LA $50,589

Charleston, SC $50,578

Nashville, TN $50,562

Jamestown, NY $50,551

Davenport, IA $50,551

Tucson, AZ $50,525

Cheyenne, WY $50,509

Saint Petersburg, FL $50,493

Tampa, FL $50,482

Omaha, NE $50,472

Port Arthur, TX $50,450

Evansville, IN $50,450

Bradenton, FL $50,429

Santa Fe, NM $50,333

Orlando, FL $50,280

Clearwater, FL $50,221

Canton, OH $50,109

La Crosse, WI $50,109

Grand Forks, ND $50,093

Albuquerque, NM $50,077

Tulsa, OK $50,077

Newport News, VA $50,072

High Point, NC $50,056

Ogden, UT $50,035

Corpus Christi, TX $49,992

Laramie, WY $49,960

Norfolk, VA $49,960

Rock Island, IL $49,928

Saginaw, MI $49,918

Jacksonville, FL $49,912

Salisbury, NC $49,902

Memphis, TN $49,891

Moline, IL $49,864

Fort Myers, FL $49,848

Waterloo, IA $49,779

Spartanburg, SC $49,726

Lincoln, NE $49,699

Fort Wayne, IN $49,689

Birmingham, AL $49,630

Cedar Falls, IA $49,619

Provo, UT $49,614

Springfield, OH $49,609

San Antonio, TX $49,598

Greensboro, NC $49,577

South Bend, IN $49,571

Winston Salem, NC $49,566

Boise, ID $49,550

Savannah, GA $49,513

Muskegon, MI $49,417

Lima, OH $49,353

Lake Charles, LA $49,332

Anderson, IN $49,321

Lexington, KY $49,305

Augusta, GA $49,289

Greenville, SC $49,289

Wichita, KS $49,241

Tuscaloosa, AL $49,241

Columbia, SC $49,193

Bloomington, IN $49,060

Roanoke, VA $49,028

Asheville, NC $48,959

Knoxville, TN $48,868

Shreveport, LA $48,863

Wilmington, NC $48,794

Frankfort, KY $48,693

Oklahoma City, OK $48,655

Chillicothe, OH $48,634

Longview, TX $48,629

Topeka, KS $48,613

Mobile, AL $48,533

Terre Haute, IN $48,511

Erie, PA $48,506

Altoona, PA $48,480

Melbourne, FL $48,464

Amarillo, TX $48,442

Killeen, TX $48,426

Fayetteville, AR $48,384

Sioux Falls, SD $48,346

Chattanooga, TN $48,314

Idaho Falls, ID $48,309

Gainesville, FL $48,197

Portsmouth, OH $48,171

Little Rock, AR $48,160

Lynchburg, VA $48,160

Lafayette, LA $48,139

Youngstown, OH $48,139

Temple, TX $48,117

Daytona Beach, FL $48,107

Clarksville, TN $48,101

Pensacola, FL $48,096

Hopkinsville, KY $47,936

Charleston, WV $47,931

Florence, SC $47,904

Sioux City, IA $47,872

Macon, GA $47,718

Tallahassee, FL $47,713

Fayetteville, NC $47,702

Waco, TX $47,691

Wichita Falls, TX $47,691

Pine Bluff, AR $47,670

Vincennes, IN $47,569

Lubbock, TX $47,547

Great Falls, MT $47,515

Alamogordo, NM $47,510

Abilene, TX $47,468

Rapid City, SD $47,398

Monroe, LA $47,398

Albany, GA $47,366

Huntington, WV $47,361

Jackson, MS $47,356

Greenville, MS $47,350

Parkersburg, WV $47,297

Montgomery, AL $47,286

Johnstown, PA $47,276

Springfield, MO $47,233

Biloxi, MS $47,207

Sumter, SC $47,095

Columbus, GA $47,089

Twin Falls, ID $47,057

Pascagoula, MS $46,988

Kingsport, TN $46,850

Gulfport, MS $46,834

Alexandria, LA $46,658

Fort Smith, AR $46,525

El Paso, TX $46,381

Helena, MT $46,312

Las Cruces, NM $46,141

Harlingen, TX $45,992

Pocatello, ID $45,944

Florence, AL $45,928

Brownsville, TX $45,918

Dothan, AL $45,832

Mcallen, TX $45,806

Columbus, MS $45,412

Altus, OK $45,167

Lawton, OK $45,065

Pierre, SD $44,874

What Skills Can Increase a CDL Driver's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 17.14% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Safety Administration (Mentioned in 2.21% Job Postings): Safety Administration it involves protecting the public from crime, disaster, and other potential threats to their safety and wellbeing.
CPR (Mentioned in 1.62% Job Postings): Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) and chest compressions to temporarily pump enough blood to the brain until specialized treatment is available.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	17.14%
Safety Administration	2.21%
CPR	1.62%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a CDL Driver's salary.

Waste Management: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Hard Working: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Customer Satisfaction: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Waste Management	$58,589	10%
Hard Working	$55,926	5%
Customer Satisfaction	$55,393	4%
Container	$54,860	3%
Adaptability	$54,860	3%
Leadership	$54,328	2%

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How Education impacts a CDL Driver's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many CDL Drivers enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a CDL Driver with a No Diploma is between $51,637 and $55,371).

CDL Driver Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for CDL Driver

No Diploma 3.7%

High School 76.9%

Associates 8.9%

Bachelors 6.8%

Masters 2.2%

Doctorate 1.5%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	3.7%
High School	76.9%
Associates	8.9%
Bachelors	6.8%
Masters	2.2%
Doctorate	1.5%

view as graph

CDL Driver Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CDL Driver's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$48,474

Average $53,263/year

$59,443

$4,040

Average $4,439/month

$4,954

$932

Average $1,024/week

$1,143

$23

Average $26/hour

$29

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$59,443	$4,954	$1,143	$29
Average	$53,263	$4,439	$1,024	$26
25th Percentile	$48,474	$4,040	$932	$23

Salaries of jobs related to CDL Driver

Salary Trends for CDL Driver

Salaries for a CDL Driver can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $47,779 in 2023 to around $46,197 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of CDL Driver salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of CDL Driver Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$47,779

2024

$46,700

2025

$46,197

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$47,779
2024	$46,700
2025	$46,197
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for CDL Driver

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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