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The differences between drivers and cdl drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cdl driver has an average salary of $63,112, 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 driver are DOT, CDL-A, and customer service.
| Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $34,771 | $63,112 |
| Hourly rate | $16.72 | $30.34 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,017,998 | 784,044 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| 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 driver is responsible for the transportation of goods from the manufacturing warehouse to specific store locations. CDL drivers' duties include inspecting the items before and after the delivery to ensure that the orders are correct with the right quantity, providing proof of delivery from the receiving customers, following the delivery schedule and report any delays immediately, monitoring the vehicle's engine for efficiency, and escalating concerns of incorrect deliveries and defective items. A CDL driver must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills, following safety procedures and road rules at all times.
Drivers and cdl drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Average salary | $34,771 | $63,112 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $53,000 | Between $41,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Air Liquide | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a driver and a cdl driver in terms of educational background:
| Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between drivers' and cdl drivers' demographics:
| Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% |
| 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, 12.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |