MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR 2
Career Family: MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR
In New Jersey, Motor Vehicle Operator 2 is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
It is the lowest-paid of the 2 Motor Vehicle Operator grades, a step below Motor Vehicle Operator 1, whose band tops out about $7,769 higher. Qualifying turns on a professional license. The FY2026 range lands between $38,027 and $54,571, and state payroll currently lists about 42 people in the title, led by Human Services.
How to get hired
- Watch for an open-competitive announcement for Motor Vehicle Operator 2 on the NJ Civil Service Commission jobs portal. Announcements run for a fixed filing window.
- Apply during that window and sit the examination. Depending on the title, that can be a written test, a rating of your training and experience, or a mix of the two.
- Passing scores go onto a ranked eligible list. Veterans get preference points added on top of their score.
- When an agency has a vacancy it must appoint from the top of that list under the "Rule of Three." Many competitive jobs are first filled provisionally while the list is being built.
Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.
Pay ladder: Motor Vehicle Operator series
- Motor Vehicle Operator 2 — $38,027 – $54,571 (this title)
- Motor Vehicle Operator 1 — $43,237 – $62,340
Promoting to Motor Vehicle Operator 1 raises the top of the band by about $7,769. Its top salary lands around the 1st percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY2026 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 42 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $59,324. The agencies employing the most are:
- Human Services (24)
- Health and Senior Services (10)
- Military and Veterans Affairs (5)
- Children and Families (2)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under the direction of a supervisor, in a state department, operates a passenger or light duty truck type motor vehicle, carries out pick-up and/or delivery assignments, and performs basic simple clerical work; does other related duties.
Examples of work
- Drives state employees, college students, patients or inmates to designated destinations.
- Makes minor car repairs and adjustments.
- May drive a light truck or van.
- May be required to operate snow removal equipment.
- Services, washes, cleans, waxes and polishes motor vehicles.
- Supplies the car, van and/or truck with gas, oil and water.
- Maintains a clean and orderly garage.
- May perform basic clerical work.
- Maintains records.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
Experience
One (1) year experience in driving passenger automobiles, vans or light trucks.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey. Appointees may also be required to possess a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and applicable endorsements for the class and type of vehicle being operated.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
The responsibility for ensuring that employees possess the required motor vehicle license, commensurate with the class and type of vehicles they operate, rests with the Appointing Authority.
<b>KNOWLEDGE AND ABILIITES</b>
Knowledge of the proper methods used to operate an automobile.
Knowledge of the common indications of vehicle malfunction.
Ability to drive under varying road, traffic and weather conditions.
Ability to understand, remember and carry out oral and written directions.
Ability to make minor adjustments and repairs to an automobile, to change and repair tires and tubes, to check and replenish gasoline, oil and radiator and battery water and to maintain the vehicle in clean and safe running condition and available for immediate use.
Ability to maintain records and performs basic clerical duties.
Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.