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The differences between car drivers and tow truck drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tow truck driver has an average salary of $38,555, which is higher than the $36,587 average annual salary of a car driver.
The top three skills for a car driver include customer service, CDL and clean vehicle. The most important skills for a tow truck driver are transport vehicles, CDL, and customer service.
| Car Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $36,587 | $38,555 |
| Hourly rate | $17.59 | $18.54 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 165,325 | 666,918 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Car drivers are skilled professionals who are responsible for transporting clients comfortably and safely. These drivers are required to pick up clients from the place and time they have requested while using the GPS (Global Positioning System) to navigate and follow directions to transport them to their specified location. They are required to undergo a training program and certification testing to obtain the commercial driver's license (CDL) from the Department of Transportation. These drivers must also comply with the routine to clean vehicle interior to ensure optimal condition of vehicles.
Typically working upon the directives of dispatchers, a tow truck driver is in charge of driving to areas where a vehicle accident or breakdown took place, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting them to repair stations or particular places. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to identify their needs, answering inquiries, providing assistance by performing minor repairs, changing tires or jump-starting cars, and recommending solutions when necessary. Furthermore, as a tow truck driver, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks on towing trucks for a safe and efficient service.
Car drivers and tow truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Car Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $36,587 | $38,555 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $58,000 | Between $29,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Auburn, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | Tesla | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a car driver and a tow truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Car Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between car drivers' and tow truck drivers' demographics:
| Car Driver | Tow Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.2% Female, 27.8% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 9.4% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 4% |