How much does a CDL-A job in Virginia really pay, and how much of it do you keep? We pulled the numbers from our own job database and ran them through 2026 tax rates.
What Virginia CDL-A jobs pay right now
In our database there are 45 open CDL-A jobs that hire drivers in Virginia, and 42 of them list an average pay figure from the carrier.
| Weekly pay (carrier-reported average) | |
|---|---|
| Middle of the pack (median) | $1,320 |
| Lower quarter of jobs | $1,200 or less |
| Top quarter of jobs | $1,550 or more |
Other numbers worth knowing:
- 6 of these jobs get you home daily, 15 home weekly.
- 3 are local and 12 are dedicated.
- 17 accept brand-new CDL-A drivers.
Why Virginia is different
The Port of Virginia (Norfolk and Hampton Roads) is one of the busiest container ports on the East Coast, so Virginia has many port, drayage and intermodal jobs, and Richmond and the I-95 and I-81 corridors add distribution and regional runs. Port jobs can be home daily, but ask how long trucks wait at the terminal and whether you are paid for that waiting time.
What you keep after taxes
Take a driver in Virginia at the median: about $1,320 a week, 50 working weeks, so about $66,000 a year as a W-2 company driver, single, standard deduction.
| Per year | |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $66,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,740 |
| Virginia state income tax | −$2,981 |
| Social Security + Medicare | −$5,049 |
| Take-home | $52,230 (about $1,045 a week) |
Virginia tax in short: a graduated state income tax from 2% up to 5.75%, with a standard deduction and a small personal exemption. Virginia has no city or county wage tax, so the table above is close to what you would really pay.
For comparison, the same paycheck in Texas (no state income tax) would leave about $2,981 more a year. Want to run your own numbers, or compare two offers after taxes? Use our free pay calculator: pick your state and it shows the take-home for both offers, including 1099 jobs.
These are estimates for a single filer with no other income, before health insurance, 401(k) and local taxes. Your real numbers depend on your situation; this is not tax advice.
Where the jobs are
Browse open Virginia jobs by metro: Richmond, or see all Virginia CDL-A jobs.
Sources: pay figures are carrier-reported averages from our job database (October 2026); federal brackets and standard deduction from the IRS 2026 inflation adjustments; state rates from the Tax Foundation's 2026 state income tax table; Social Security wage base from the SSA.
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