Owner/operator vs co-owner/operator

The differences between owner/operators and co-owner/operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an owner/operator, becoming a co-owner/operator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an owner/operator has an average salary of $167,288, which is higher than the $32,256 average annual salary of a co-owner/operator.

The top three skills for an owner/operator include CDL, PET and customer service. The most important skills for a co-owner/operator are co-op, patients, and data analysis.

Owner/operator vs co-owner/operator overview

	Owner/Operator	Co-Owner/Operator
Yearly salary	$167,288	$32,256
Hourly rate	$80.43	$15.51
Growth rate	4%	6%
Number of jobs	119,599	95,615
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	2	6

What does an owner/operator do?

Owners/operators manage the business in all aspects, especially in those related to operations. They ensure that every aspect of the business is running smoothly. They oversee finance, marketing, logistics, sales, and even the human resources of the whole organization. They set business goals, create action plans to achieve them, and make sure that the plans are followed through. They set strategic direction and make business decisions that would be the most beneficial to the organization. They ensure that the business has enough funds to continue operating and that the quality of the products and services they offer continuously improve.

What does a co-owner/operator do?

A co-owner/operator is responsible for delivering goods and services for the companies using their trucks and vehicles. Co-owner/operators ensure timely merchandise deliveries, check the quantity and quality of the cargo, and follow routes accordingly. They also inspect vehicle conditions, identify any inconsistencies, and perform troubleshooting for malfunction for immediate repair or replacement of components to prevent deliveries delays. A co-owner/operator must have clean driving records, adhering to the road's safety regulations.

Owner/operator vs co-owner/operator salary

Owner/operators and co-owner/operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Owner/Operator	Co-Owner/Operator
Average salary	$167,288	$32,256
Salary range	Between $105,000 And $264,000	Between $21,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Bridgeport, CT	Rahway, NJ
Highest paying state	Oregon	New York
Best paying company	Reddy Ice	BorgWarner
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between owner/operator and co-owner/operator education

There are a few differences between an owner/operator and a co-owner/operator in terms of educational background:

	Owner/Operator	Co-Owner/Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Owner/operator vs co-owner/operator demographics

Here are the differences between owner/operators' and co-owner/operators' demographics:

	Owner/Operator	Co-Owner/Operator
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 66.8% Female, 33.2%	Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 3.6% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	10%

Differences between owner/operator and co-owner/operator duties and responsibilities

Owner/operator example responsibilities.

Create and manage a free subscription, advertising- base facsimile publication and franchising system.
Manage all inventory for eBay store, including its labeling, storage, sales, and overall organization.
Design, implement and manage processes base on ITIL best practices, standards and relate support tools across the organization.
Direct daily operations of four profit centers, managing all financial functions to include A/R, A/P, payroll and purchasing.
Create and manage print and electronic co-op advertising program
Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.

Co-owner/operator example responsibilities.

Manage shipping and warehousing for the entire U.S., as well as A/R & A/P.
Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.
Perform renovations and finishing work, roof work, windows, siding and much more.
Developed/Maintain Facebook page for marketing/advertising.
Developed/Maintain Facebook page for marketing/advertising.

Owner/operator vs co-owner/operator skills

Common owner/operator skills

CDL, 57%
PET, 16%
Customer Service, 12%
Payroll, 4%
Human Resources, 1%
Windows, 1%

Common co-owner/operator skills

Co-Op, 35%
Patients, 10%
Data Analysis, 7%
PowerPoint, 6%
Python, 4%
C++, 3%

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Transportation Industry
Owner/Operator
Owner/Operator vs Co-Owner/Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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