UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 23, 2008
                                                         ----------------

                       PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

    Delaware                             001-31566             42-1547151
- -----------------------------      ----------------------     ----------
(State or Other Jurisdiction)      (Commission File No.)       (I.R.S. Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)


830 Bergen Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey                     07306-4599
- ------------------------------------------                     ----------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                       (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (201) 333-1000
                                                     --------------

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[  ] Written communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

[  ] Soliciting  material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
     CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ] Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  14d-2(b)  under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ] Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  13e-4(c)  under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))




Item 5.02  Departure of Directors or Certain  Officers;  Election of  Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     On  January  23,  2008,  the  Board of  Directors  of  Provident  Financial
Services,  Inc.  (the  "Company"),  on the  recommendation  of the  Compensation
Committee,  approved an annual performance-based  incentive plan for the payment
of  incentive  compensation  to certain  officers  of The  Provident  Bank,  the
Company's  wholly-owned  savings bank subsidiary (the "Plan"),  including senior
executive officers.  The Plan provides for cash incentive  payments,  as well as
long-term  incentive  awards in the form of restricted stock under the Provident
Financial  Services,  Inc.  2003 Stock  Award Plan and stock  options  under the
Provident  Financial  Services,  Inc.  2003 Stock  Option  Plan.  The  incentive
payments, both cash and long-term incentive awards, will be made based primarily
on the Company's  financial  performance in 2008 compared with targets  relating
to: (i) earnings per share (weighted 50%); (ii) efficiency ratio (weighted 25%);
and (iii) total stockholder  return relative to the performance of an identified
peer group, currently comprised of 20 institutions (weighted 25%) (collectively,
the  "Corporate  Targets").  Incentive  payments  based  on the  Company's  2008
financial  performance may be made if the Company meets or exceeds 95% of any of
the Corporate Targets ("Threshold").  A portion of the incentive payment will be
based on the officer's  performance  against personal goals and objectives,  and
may be made whether or not Corporate  Targets have been met. For certain  senior
executive officers, 75% of the incentive payment that may be made under the Plan
will be based on the Company's  financial  performance  and 25% will be based on
the individual's  performance.  For senior executive officers in the lending and
retail banking disciplines,  50% of the incentive payment that may be made under
the Plan will be based on the Company's  financial  performance  and 50% will be
based on the performance of their respective areas of responsibility against the
2008 business plan.

     Incentive payments will be a percentage of the officer's base salary. Using
estimated  2008 base salary levels and the current number of officers that could
participate  (108 persons),  the aggregate  cash incentive  payments that may be
made for 2008 would range from approximately $1.3 million at the Threshold level
up to a maximum of approximately  $5.2 million and the estimated annual value of
the long-term  awards would range from  approximately  $151,000 at the Threshold
level up to a maximum of approximately $606,000.


Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
           ---------------------------------

          (a) Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired. Not applicable

          (b) Pro Forma Financial Information. Not applicable

          (c) Shell company transactions. Not applicable

          (d) Exhibits. Not applicable








                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                       PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.



DATE:  January 29, 2008         By:     /s/ Paul M. Pantozzi
                                        ---------------------------
                                        Paul M. Pantozzi
                                        Chairman and
                                        Chief Executive Officer