Highest-Paying Truck Driving and Equipment Operation (Certificate) Programs in the US

Q: Which state pays truck driving and equipment operation certificate graduates the most?

Pennsylvania, where the median program pays its graduates $43,254 in their first year, the highest of 2 state rankings. Georgia is next, at $37,307.

Q: Which truck driving and equipment operation certificate program pays the most?

Johnson County Community College in Kansas reports the highest first-year pay of the 69 programs ranked here, $74,114. Its median federal debt is $5,775.

75 programs report first-year pay
2 state rankings
Certificate in Ground Transportation

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median truck driving and equipment operation certificate program in the US pays its graduates $41,081 in their first year and $48,456 five years after. Pennsylvania has the highest state median ($43,254), and Georgia the lowest ($37,307). The median program leaves its graduates with $7,572 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$41,081Across 75 programs

Median pay after 5 years$48,456Across 75 programs

Median federal debt$7,572Across 64 programs

Debt-to-earnings18%Across 60 programs

All 69 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Johnson County Community CollegeOverland Park, KS · public	$74,114	Not adjusted	$76,270	$5,775	8%
2	Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton, WI · public	$67,999	$72,266	$55,351	$8,250	12%
3	Central Lakes College-BrainerdBrainerd, MN · public	$64,164	$65,061	$67,690	$10,846	17%
4	Community College of Allegheny CountyPittsburgh, PA · public	$59,330	$60,806	Not reported	$11,000	19%
5	Hagerstown Community CollegeHagerstown, MD · public	$53,495	$50,968	$49,812	$4,750	9%
6	Elgin Community CollegeElgin, IL · public	$51,945	$51,967	$61,496	$4,008	8%
7	New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode IslandPawtucket, RI · private for-profit	$51,761	$50,607	$55,089	$6,333	12%
8	State Technical College of MissouriLinn, MO · public	$50,941	$56,092	$59,695	$8,750	17%
9	Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukee, WI · public	$50,682	$53,863	$57,029	$8,653	17%
10	Lincoln Land Community CollegeSpringfield, IL · public	$49,142	$49,163	$52,215	$5,500	11%
11	Alexandria Technical & Community CollegeAlexandria, MN · public	$48,587	$49,266	$51,649	Not reported	Not reported
12	Chattanooga State Community CollegeChattanooga, TN · public	$48,579	$52,878	$49,433	$12,100	25%
13	Hamrick SchoolMedina, OH · private for-profit	$47,287	$50,970	$51,898	$6,333	13%
14	Minnesota State College SoutheastWinona, MN · public	$47,171	Not adjusted	$55,663	Not reported	Not reported
15	Bevill State Community CollegeJasper, AL · public	$47,167	$53,102	$49,353	$12,621	27%
16	Miller-Motte College-ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN · private for-profit	$46,909	$51,060	$29,387	$7,875	17%
17	Fortis Institute-ScrantonScranton, PA · private for-profit	$46,797	$47,962	$47,644	$6,333	14%
18	Cape Fear Community CollegeWilmington, NC · public	$46,329	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
19	Arkansas State University-NewportNewport, AR · public	$45,980	Not adjusted	Not reported	$11,715	25%
20	Wiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeValdosta, GA · public	$45,696	$47,455	$37,148	$8,272	18%
21	Riverland Community CollegeAustin, MN · public	$45,619	$46,257	Not reported	$4,750	10%
22	Warren County Career CenterLebanon, OH · public	$44,616	$48,091	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
23	North American Trade SchoolsBaltimore, MD · private for-profit	$43,827	$41,756	$52,504	$3,403	8%
24	Hazard Community and Technical CollegeHazard, KY · public	$43,818	$48,601	Not reported	$7,473	17%
25	Central Georgia Technical CollegeWarner Robins, GA · public	$43,652	$45,332	$53,594	Not reported	Not reported
26	Rosedale Technical CollegePittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$43,415	$44,495	$52,715	$3,325	8%
27	New England Tractor Trailer Training School of ConnecticutSomers, CT · private for-profit	$43,172	$41,668	$48,972	$6,333	15%
28	All-State Career-BaltimoreBaltimore, MD · private for-profit	$43,160	$41,121	$48,456	$6,333	15%
29	All-State Career SchoolEssington, PA · private for-profit	$43,092	$44,164	$44,425	$6,333	15%
30	West Georgia Technical CollegeWaco, GA · public	$43,072	$44,730	$56,347	$9,500	22%
31	South Georgia Technical CollegeAmericus, GA · public	$42,551	$44,189	$36,399	$9,500	22%
32	Greater Johnstown Career and Technology CenterJohnstown, PA · public	$41,978	$43,023	$39,320	Not reported	Not reported
33	New Castle School of TradesNew Castle, PA · private for-profit	$41,747	$42,786	$51,008	$7,544	18%
34	Davidson-Davie Community CollegeThomasville, NC · public	$41,081	$43,552	$64,980	Not reported	Not reported
35	Crowder CollegeNeosho, MO · public	$40,759	Not adjusted	Not reported	$8,400	21%
36	Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMarietta, GA · public	$40,590	$42,153	$48,169	$12,924	32%
37	Athens Technical CollegeAthens, GA · public	$40,571	$42,133	Not reported	$9,500	23%
38	Advanced Technology InstituteVirginia Beach, VA · private for-profit	$40,332	$39,892	Not reported	$14,125	35%
39	North Arkansas CollegeHarrison, AR · public	$39,576	$45,523	$39,626	Not reported	Not reported
40	Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk, VA · public	$39,383	$38,953	$45,546	$6,464	16%
41	Diesel Driving Academy-ShreveportShreveport, LA · private for-profit	$38,978	$44,189	$43,865	$6,333	16%
42	Meridian Community CollegeMeridian, MS · public	$38,766	$44,583	$39,516	Not reported	Not reported
43	Advanced Career InstituteVisalia, CA · private for-profit	$38,651	$34,909	$44,961	$6,201	16%
44	Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffin, GA · public	$37,668	$39,118	$36,786	Not reported	Not reported
45	Mid-EastCTC-Adult EducationZanesville, OH · public	$37,227	$40,127	$42,628	$6,333	17%
46	Albany Technical CollegeAlbany, GA · public	$36,946	$38,368	$40,891	$9,156	25%
47	HDS Truck Driving InstituteTucson, AZ · private for-profit	$36,576	$36,330	$45,981	$7,706	21%
48	Midwest Technical Institute-IllinoisSpringfield, IL · private for-profit	$36,234	$36,249	$33,923	$6,333	17%
49	Savannah Technical CollegeSavannah, GA · public	$35,969	$37,354	$37,064	$14,250	40%
50	Atlanta Technical CollegeAtlanta, GA · public	$35,709	$37,084	Not reported	$17,344	49%
51	Bishop State Community CollegeMobile, AL · public	$35,619	$40,101	$37,317	$11,654	33%
52	Diesel Driving Academy-Baton RougeBaton Rouge, LA · private for-profit	$35,588	$40,346	$42,039	$6,333	18%
53	Ogeechee Technical CollegeStatesboro, GA · public	$35,427	$36,791	$35,744	$15,116	43%
54	Southern Regional Technical CollegeThomasville, GA · public	$34,746	$36,084	Not reported	$5,677	16%
55	CET-San JoseSan Jose, CA · private nonprofit	$34,665	$31,309	$40,705	$6,650	19%
56	Florida State College at JacksonvilleJacksonville, FL · public	$34,562	$33,421	Not reported	$15,001	43%
57	Southeastern Technical CollegeVidalia, GA · public	$33,256	$34,536	Not reported	$9,280	28%
58	Oconee Fall Line Technical CollegeSandersville, GA · public	$33,226	$34,505	$32,277	$10,407	31%
59	Hinds Community CollegeRaymond, MS · public	$32,532	$37,413	$34,821	$9,700	30%
60	Tennessee College of Applied Technology-JacksonJackson, TN · public	$31,124	$33,878	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
61	Southeast Community College AreaLincoln, NE · public	$30,980	$34,383	Not reported	$8,196	26%
62	Fortis College-Cuyahoga FallsCuyahoga Falls, OH · private for-profit	$30,416	$32,785	$48,410	$6,333	21%
63	Phillips Community College of the University of ArkansasHelena, AR · public	$30,221	$34,762	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
64	M T Training CenterDesoto, TX · private for-profit	$28,532	$29,397	$26,509	$6,754	24%
65	Pearl River Community CollegePoplarville, MS · public	$27,251	$31,340	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
66	Northwest Louisiana Technical Community CollegeMinden, LA · public	$24,514	$27,791	$53,557	Not reported	Not reported
67	City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey CollegeChicago, IL · public	$24,356	$24,366	$35,103	$10,434	43%
68	Shawnee Community CollegeUllin, IL · public	$24,036	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
69	Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA · public	$18,387	Not adjusted	$35,071	$4,750	26%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 62 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 7, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

15 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked. 6 more programs report pay but aren't listed, because College Scorecard's school file doesn't name their schools. The national medians above still count them.

Truck Driving and Equipment Operation (Certificate) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's truck driving and equipment operation certificate programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
Pennsylvania	6	$43,254	$6,333
Georgia	14	$37,307	$9,500

Programs in 23 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Rosedale Technical College, PA$3,325
Southern Regional Technical College, GA$5,677
Fortis Institute-Scranton, PA$6,333
All-State Career School, PA$6,333
New Castle School of Trades, PA$7,544
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, GA$8,272
Albany Technical College, GA$9,156
Southeastern Technical College, GA$9,280
West Georgia Technical College, GA$9,500
South Georgia Technical College, GA$9,500

Lowest debt for the pay

Rosedale Technical College, PA8%
Fortis Institute-Scranton, PA14%
All-State Career School, PA15%
Southern Regional Technical College, GA16%
New Castle School of Trades, PA18%
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, GA18%
Community College of Allegheny County, PA19%
West Georgia Technical College, GA22%
South Georgia Technical College, GA22%
Athens Technical College, GA23%

Only the 17 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to truck driving and equipment operation, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

$58,640

Median pay in the US. 2,062,040 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 214,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.

Bottom 10%: $40,140Top 10%: $79,380

Light Truck Drivers

$44,860

Median pay in the US. 983,300 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 107,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $30,800Top 10%: $80,310

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

$46,420

Median pay in the US. 774,420 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 64,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: no formal educational credential.

Bottom 10%: $36,840Top 10%: $62,520

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

$59,850

Median pay in the US. 478,090 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 39,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $42,190Top 10%: $101,090

Common questions

The median truck driving and equipment operation certificate program in the US pays its graduates $41,081 in their first year and $48,456 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024