Motor Vehicle Commission

Motor Vehicle Commission anchors a workforce of 2,850 employees, one of the biggest payrolls in state government.

The most common title is Technician Mvc (42% of staff), followed by Senior Technician Mvc and Supervisor 1 Mvc. Median pay is $66,142, about 22% below the statewide median.

Median tenure is 8.1 years, shorter than the statewide median of 9.6 years. CWA represents the largest share of its unionized workforce (about 83%).

About Motor Vehicle Commission

The Motor Vehicle Commission licenses drivers, titles and registers vehicles, and oversees the inspection program. It was created in 2003 to replace the old Division of Motor Vehicles and operates as a commission rather than a line department, though its staff are on the state payroll and in the civil service system.

The agency's roster is unusually flat. Motor vehicle technician is by far the largest title, staffing the agency service centers, with senior technicians and supervisors above it. Safety specialists handle inspection and enforcement work, and records technicians manage titling and document processing. Because the front-line title carries most of the headcount, the agency has one of the narrowest salary spreads in state government: the gap between the lower and upper quartile is smaller here than almost anywhere else.

Who works here

These are the titles that carry the most people on this payroll. Each one links to its civil service specification, which sets out the duties, the minimum requirements and the salary range.

• Technician Mvc1,188 employees
  41.7% of staff · median $57,704 · CWA
• Senior Technician Mvc212 employees
  7.4% of staff · median $71,639 · CWA
• Supervisor 1 Mvc178 employees
  6.2% of staff · median $86,027 · CWA
• Safety Specialist 1 Mvc112 employees
  3.9% of staff · median $52,712 · IFPTE
• Records Technician 3, Motor Vehicles81 employees
  2.8% of staff · median $61,225 · CWA
• Supervisor 2 Mvc73 employees
  2.6% of staff · median $106,040 · CWA
• Safety Specialist 2, Mvc67 employees
  2.4% of staff · median $70,328 · IFPTE
• Records Technician 2, Motor Vehicles62 employees
  2.2% of staff · median $71,403 · CWA
• Technical Assistant 150 employees
  1.8% of staff · median $53,693 · CWA
• Compliance Officer 1 Mvc42 employees
  1.5% of staff · median $70,247 · IFPTE
• Technical Assistant, Motor Vehicle Commission31 employees
  1.1% of staff · median $41,416 · CWA
• Investigator 2 Nj Motor Vehicle Commission30 employees
  1.1% of staff · median $118,678 · CWA

At least 100 distinct titles appear on this agency's payroll. The 12 largest are listed above.

Titles you will not find elsewhere

25 of this agency's titles are concentrated here rather than shared across departments, and for 22 of them every single position in the state sits on this payroll.

• Technician Mvc1,188 of 1,190 statewide
  100% of the statewide total
• Senior Technician Mvcall 212 statewide
  only at this agency
• Supervisor 1 Mvc178 of 25 statewide
  712% of the statewide total
• Safety Specialist 1 Mvcall 112 statewide
  only at this agency
• Records Technician 3, Motor Vehiclesall 81 statewide
  only at this agency
• Supervisor 2 Mvc73 of 13 statewide
  562% of the statewide total
• Safety Specialist 2, Mvcall 67 statewide
  only at this agency
• Records Technician 2, Motor Vehiclesall 62 statewide
  only at this agency

Concentration is measured against the same payroll file, comparing this agency's headcount in a title with the statewide headcount in that title.

How pay is spread

Below are the quartile boundaries for this agency's salaries, with the statewide equivalents alongside them for reference.

The middle half of this agency's employees earn between $55,595 and $78,268, a ratio of 1.41 between the two quartiles. State government as a whole sits at 1.80, so this agency's pay is bunched more tightly than average, which tends to happen where one or two large titles carry most of the staff.

• Lowest recorded salary$41,416
• Lower quartile$55,595
  statewide $62,428
• Median salary$66,142
  statewide $84,548
• Upper quartile$78,268
  statewide $112,646
• Highest recorded salary$120,384

Based on 2,580 salaried records, with 123 statistical outliers excluded from the quartile calculation.

Union representation

Which contract covers a job decides its salary schedule, its step ladder and its grievance route. This is the union mix on this payroll.

• CWA2,368 employees
  83.1% of the agency
• IFPTE289 employees
  10.1% of the agency
• IBEW36 employees
  1.3% of the agency

Union coverage is identifiable for 94% of this agency's payroll records. The remainder are unclassified, exempt or managerial positions that sit outside a bargaining unit.

How long people stay

Tenure tells you something a salary table cannot: whether this is a place people arrive at or a place they stay.

Half of this agency's employees have been on the state payroll longer than 8.1 years, well short of the statewide median of 9.6. 38% joined within the last five years, and 25% have twenty years or more behind them.

• Under 5 years1,055 employees
  37.5% of those with a hire date
• 5 to 10 years572 employees
  20.4% of those with a hire date
• 10 to 15 years359 employees
  12.8% of those with a hire date
• 15 to 20 years118 employees
  4.2% of those with a hire date
• 20 to 25 years556 employees
  19.8% of those with a hire date
• 25 years or more150 employees
  5.3% of those with a hire date

Hire dates are present for 2,810 of this agency's 2,850 payroll records.

Overtime

1,312 employees here recorded overtime, 46.0% of the agency, against 29.6% across state government. Agencies that have to cover a post around the clock always sit above that line.

Together they were paid $2,897,327 in overtime, averaging $2,208 for each employee who earned any. Overtime is not part of the salary figures elsewhere on this page, which report base pay.

• Employees with recorded overtime1,312
• Share of the agency46.0%
• Total overtime paid$2,897,327
• Average per employee earning it$2,208

Civil service coverage

93% of this agency's payroll records carry a title that matches a published civil service specification. That is a high match rate, and it means the hiring routes described elsewhere on this site apply to most jobs here: an announced examination, an eligible list, and appointment from that list.

• Records matched to a specification2,661
• Records with no matching specification189
• Distinct civil service titles on the roster100 or more

Where it sits among state agencies

By headcount this is the 11th largest of the 39 payroll lines in New Jersey state government, holding 3.9% of the state workforce.

Its nearest neighbours by headcount, for readers who want a like-for-like comparison.

• Department of Treasury3,666 employees
  median $82,173
• Department of Labor3,249 employees
  median $77,144
• Veterans Affairs1,559 employees
  median $58,818
• Office of Public Defender1,317 employees
  median $96,280

Study guides for this exam

• Civil Service Arithmetic National Learning Corporation · $39.94
• Civil Service Grammar and Usage National Learning Corporation · $34.95
• Civil Service Administration, Management and Supervision National Learning Corporation · $55.95
• Clerical, Office & Administrative Support Positions (COAST) (Career Examination) National Learning Corporation · $39.95
• Logical Reasoning National Learning Corporation · $29.95
• In-Basket Examination National Learning Corporation · $49.95
• GRAPHS, CHARTS AND TABLES (Tabular Material) National Learning Corporation · $39.94
• Abstract Reasoning / Spatial Relations National Learning Corporation · $49.95
• CIVIL SERVICE READING COMPREHENSION (General Aptitude and Abilities Series) (Passbooks) National Learning Corporation · $39.95 · general prep, not specific to this title

The Civil Service Commission does not publish official study guides or release past tests. These are independent equivalency guides.

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