Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between drivers and commercial drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a commercial driver has an average salary of $46,852, 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 commercial driver are customer service, CDL, and ladders.
| Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $34,771 | $46,852 |
| Hourly rate | $16.72 | $22.52 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,017,998 | 1,016,123 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| 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 commercial driver is responsible for transporting people, goods, and services from one place to various destinations as required. Commercial drivers must have a clean driving record to ensure the safety and security of the passengers and the merchandise's quality while on the road. They should also know how to operate a vehicle's engine, inspect system defects, and repair system malfunctions to prevent any delays in transportation and deliveries. A commercial driver must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry and report any problems to management.
Drivers and commercial drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Average salary | $34,771 | $46,852 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $53,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Auburn, WA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Washington |
| Best paying company | Air Liquide | Laramie County Community College |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a driver and a commercial driver in terms of educational background:
| Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between drivers' and commercial drivers' demographics:
| Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% |
| 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, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |