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The differences between driver/owner operators and drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a driver/owner operator has an average salary of $169,793, which is higher than the $34,771 average annual salary of a driver.
The top three skills for a driver/owner operator include CDL, DOT and OTR. The most important skills for a driver are math, basic math, and CDL.
| Driver/Owner Operator | Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $169,793 | $34,771 |
| Hourly rate | $81.63 | $16.72 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 170,784 | 1,017,998 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Driver/owner-operators are self-employed commercial truck drivers who operate trucks to transport goods for their customers. Most of these operators started working as drivers for trucking companies to gain experience and decide if it's the right career path for them. They are allowed to haul freelance or agree to a lease agreement dedicating their equipment to one product or customer. To become an owner-operator, one should consider many things, including business set-up, vehicle type, and licenses.
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.
Driver/owner operators and drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver/Owner Operator | Driver | |
| Average salary | $169,793 | $34,771 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $417,000 | Between $22,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Savannah, GA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Clean Harbors | Air Liquide |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a driver/owner operator and a driver in terms of educational background:
| Driver/Owner Operator | Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between driver/owner operators' and drivers' demographics:
| Driver/Owner Operator | Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 3.8% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |