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The differences between drivers and cdl class a drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cdl class a driver has an average salary of $52,203, which is higher than the $34,771 average annual salary of a driver.
The top three skills for a driver include math, basic math and CDL. The most important skills for a cdl class a driver are OTR, customer service, and hazmat.
| Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $34,771 | $52,203 |
| Hourly rate | $16.72 | $25.10 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,017,998 | 696,903 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Drivers are responsible for safely transporting people, packages, or goods from one destination to another. They should be familiar with the different routes that may be taken to reach the desired goal. They should be expert navigators and may use navigation apps to help them along the way. They should also be familiar with the basic mechanics of the vehicle they are using and the proper maintenance and cleaning needed to ensure that the car is running well. Drivers are expected to have excellent customer relation skills, a strong sense of direction, and superb organizations.
A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.
Drivers and cdl class a drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Average salary | $34,771 | $52,203 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $53,000 | Between $36,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Air Liquide | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a driver and a cdl class a driver in terms of educational background:
| Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between drivers' and cdl class a drivers' demographics:
| Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 3.5% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |