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The differences between delivery drivers, contractor and route drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a route driver has an average salary of $45,492, which is higher than the $36,870 average annual salary of a delivery driver, contractor.
The top three skills for a delivery driver, contractor include customer service, depot and package delivery. The most important skills for a route driver are CDL, DOT, and pickup.
| Delivery Driver, Contractor | Route Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $36,870 | $45,492 |
| Hourly rate | $17.73 | $21.87 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 361,045 | 266,899 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | High School Diploma, 47% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A delivery driver/contractor is responsible for picking and delivering merchandise from warehouse and distribution centers to different destinations according to business requirements. Delivery drivers/contractors usually drive vehicles of their own, requiring them to be in charge of its regular maintenance and engine repairs. They keep an accurate record of deliveries, including receipts and customer information for reference. A delivery driver/contractor should have excellent driving skills and the ability to follow road policies at all times to prevent delays and potential road hazards.
A Route Driver is responsible for delivering and transporting supplies or goods within an allotted time. The tasks will vary upon the organization or industry that a Route Driver works for, however, most of the time, the duties will revolve around picking up and dropping off packages at particular destinations ranging from homes to establishments, and communicating with customers. Furthermore, Route Drivers must keep their vehicles in clean and sound condition, report to supervisors should there be any issue, and adhere to the company policies and regulations at all times.
Delivery drivers, contractor and route drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Delivery Driver, Contractor | Route Driver | |
| Average salary | $36,870 | $45,492 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $54,000 | Between $30,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Blank Rome |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a delivery driver, contractor and a route driver in terms of educational background:
| Delivery Driver, Contractor | Route Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | High School Diploma, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between delivery drivers, contractor' and route drivers' demographics:
| Delivery Driver, Contractor | Route Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 3.4% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |