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The differences between carrier drivers and class a drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a carrier driver and a class a driver. Additionally, a class a driver has an average salary of $56,620, which is higher than the $33,256 average annual salary of a carrier driver.
The top three skills for a carrier driver include CDL, delivery route and DOT. The most important skills for a class a driver are CDL, customer service, and OTR.
| Carrier Driver | Class A Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $33,256 | $56,620 |
| Hourly rate | $15.99 | $27.22 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 743,959 | 706,950 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Carrier drivers and class a drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Carrier Driver | Class A Driver | |
| Average salary | $33,256 | $56,620 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $58,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | - | Vermont |
| Best paying company | - | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a carrier driver and a class a driver in terms of educational background:
| Carrier Driver | Class A Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between carrier drivers' and class a drivers' demographics:
| Carrier Driver | Class A Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 3.9% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 3.7% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |