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CDL / truck driving schools
If you finish a CDL / truck driving program and work as a tractor-trailer truck driver, expect to start around $40,140–$47,960 a year and reach the trade's median of $58,640 with experience; the top quarter earn $69,120 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). There are 219 accredited campuses offering it; their graduates' actual first-year median, counting every graduate whatever job they took, was $38,603, with median debt of $6,333.
What you'd earn working as a tractor-trailer truck driver
Annual wages for the 2,062,040 people employed as heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers nationally — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. This is the figure to plan around if you intend to work in the trade.
How pay grows in this trade
Getting in: Entry-level driver training from a provider on the federal registry (3–8 weeks) and the state CDL skills test; endorsements (hazmat, tanker, doubles) add pay.
- First-year drivers with a large carrier earn near the entry band; pay rises quickly with a clean year of experience.
- Hazmat/tanker, flatbed, regional and dedicated routes pay more than dry-van over-the-road.
- Owner-operators and specialized hauling (oversize, fuel) sit at the top, with much higher costs and risk.
Typical time to mid-career pay: 2–3 years. Licensing and apprenticeship rules vary by state and employer — verify with your state board before enrolling.
What graduates of these programs actually earned
Federal College Scorecard medians for every federally aided graduate of these programs, whatever job they took after finishing — including part-time work, apprentice wages and work outside the trade. That is why they sit below the trade's wage ladder above. Use them to compare schools against each other, not to judge what the career pays.
Find cdl programs by state
21 campuses · $35,098 yr-1 pay Florida
19 campuses Illinois
19 campuses · $33,907 yr-1 pay Pennsylvania
14 campuses · $40,743 yr-1 pay Tennessee
13 campuses · $35,791 yr-1 pay Kentucky
12 campuses Texas
10 campuses · $42,409 yr-1 pay Arkansas
9 campuses · $35,894 yr-1 pay Ohio
9 campuses · $39,094 yr-1 pay Mississippi
8 campuses · $30,880 yr-1 pay Utah
8 campuses Wisconsin
8 campuses · $48,840 yr-1 pay North Carolina
5 campuses · $42,409 yr-1 pay New Mexico
5 campuses · $45,355 yr-1 pay Washington
5 campuses West Virginia
5 campuses California
4 campuses · $35,172 yr-1 pay Kansas
4 campuses Louisiana
4 campuses · $38,729 yr-1 pay Michigan
4 campuses · $21,102 yr-1 pay South Carolina
4 campuses · $42,409 yr-1 pay Arizona
3 campuses · $38,093 yr-1 pay Maryland
3 campuses · $42,058 yr-1 pay Minnesota
3 campuses · $38,807 yr-1 pay Missouri
3 campuses · $30,388 yr-1 pay North Dakota
3 campuses New York
3 campuses · $40,527 yr-1 pay Alabama
2 campuses · $37,929 yr-1 pay Connecticut
2 campuses · $38,151 yr-1 pay Iowa
2 campuses Nebraska
2 campuses · $36,991 yr-1 pay Oklahoma
2 campuses · $37,218 yr-1 pay Delaware
1 campuses Indiana
1 campuses Massachusetts
1 campuses · $44,246 yr-1 pay Montana
1 campuses New Hampshire
1 campuses Oregon
1 campuses Rhode Island
1 campuses · $44,246 yr-1 pay Virginia
1 campuses · $36,942 yr-1 pay
Where cdl graduates earn the most
Median program-level earnings one year after completion, states with 3+ reporting programs. Source: College Scorecard field-of-study data.
Public vs. non-profit vs. for-profit cdl schools
| School type | Campuses | Median earnings, yr 1 | Median debt | Avg completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public | 167 | $36,959 | $3,832 | 54% |
| Private non-profit | 8 | $36,246 | $6,650 | 78% |
| Private for-profit | 44 | $40,635 | $6,333 | 76% |
How to choose a cdl program
- Check accreditation first. Every campus listed here is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or awarded federally reported credentials. Each profile names the accreditor and links to the federal record.
- Compare completion, not just tuition. A cheap program that half the class never finishes costs more than it looks. Profiles show each campus's completion rate against its state average.
- Look at earnings a year out, by program. The Scorecard reports median earnings for graduates of this specific program at this specific campus where cohorts are large enough. That is the number to compare, not national averages.
- Ask about federal aid. "Title IV eligible: Yes" means FAFSA, Pell Grants and federal loans apply. Many also accept GI Bill and WIOA funding — ask.
- Verify state licensing where it applies. Trades like cdl may need a state license or certification after the program; the school should say which exam its graduates sit.
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
"What the trade pays" is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025): annual wages for everyone employed in the occupation nationally, at the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th and 90th percentiles. The 10th–25th percentile band is a fair guide to entry-level pay; the 75th–90th to experienced workers. Program earnings (above) are lower because they count every graduate of the program in their first year, including part-time work, apprentice wages and jobs outside the trade.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026), the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions survey, and the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). Figures are federal medians and means for campuses in this program group; "not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy (small cohorts) — never an estimate.