Best CDL & Trucking Schools in California (2026)

Quick answer: CDL truck drivers in California earn a median of $60,230 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited CDL truck driver schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Programs sits within the California CDL truck driver workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $60,230 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

California Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$60,230BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$41,830 to $81,960BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying California metro for this fieldSan Jose, CA, $70,730BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+4.0% growth, about 237,600 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment205,090 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
California location quotient0.85BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the CDL truck driver Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 538 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Southwest Technical College

Cedar City, UT 390.5 miles away BOC Score 73.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 94.2%
  • Programs offered: 26
  • Annual completions: 1234
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,193 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

CET-El Centro

El Centro, CA 291.4 miles away BOC Score 67.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 91.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 352
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,676 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

CET-Soledad

Soledad, CA 121.2 miles away BOC Score 62.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 82.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 604
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,676 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Dixie Technical College

Saint George, UT 350.0 miles away BOC Score 58.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 80.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 37
  • Annual completions: 2367
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,064 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Yavapai College

Prescott, AZ 404.5 miles away BOC Score 57.1
Tuition $2,948 - $14,988
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 32.8%
  • Programs offered: 80
  • Annual completions: 1709
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,288 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Tooele Technical College

Tooele, UT 527.6 miles away BOC Score 55.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 75.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 869
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,524 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Advanced Career Institute

Visalia, CA 63.3 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 77.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 4504
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,952 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Pima Community College

Tucson, AZ 538.4 miles away BOC Score 53.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 24.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 91
  • Annual completions: 3284
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,345 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Arizona Western College

Yuma, AZ 344.5 miles away BOC Score 51.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 68
  • Annual completions: 926
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,286 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Coalinga College

Coalinga, CA 68.1 miles away BOC Score 49.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 42.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 19
  • Annual completions: 325
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,286 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

San Diego City College

San Diego, CA 231.3 miles away BOC Score 42.0
Tuition $1,146 - $21,202
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 27.5%
  • Programs offered: 40
  • Annual completions: 572
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,124 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute

Glendale, AZ 439.2 miles away BOC Score 37.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 55.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 586
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $34,393 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Truck Driver Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $40140, P25 $47960, P50 $58640, P75 $69120, P90 $79380.10th$40,14025th$47,96050th (median)$58,64075th$69,12090th$79,380
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$40,140
25th$47,960
50th (median)$58,640
75th$69,120
90th$79,380
Projected employment growth, United States, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, 2024-2034
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 2.2351e+06; 2034 projected employment 2.3244e+06; percent change +4.0%.20242,235,100 jobs2034 (proj.)2,324,400 jobsChange: +4.0%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
20242,235,100
2034 projected2,324,400
Percent change+4.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does CDL truck driver training take in California?

CDL truck driver certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do CDL truck drivers earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), CDL truck drivers in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $60,230. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $41,830 to $81,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many CDL truck driver schools are in California?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)