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The differences between professional drivers and drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a professional driver has an average salary of $49,556, which is higher than the $34,771 average annual salary of a driver.
The top three skills for a professional driver include safety regulations, vehicle inspections and CDL. The most important skills for a driver are math, basic math, and CDL.
| Professional Driver | Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $49,556 | $34,771 |
| Hourly rate | $23.82 | $16.72 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 1,043,986 | 1,017,998 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 27% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A professional driver is responsible for offering driving services as a way of living. Professional drivers are often employed by a company or private household, transporting the employees and clients from one location to another with the utmost safety and comfortability. To be a professional driver, one must have a valid professional driver's license, as well as a clean driving record for efficient job completion. A professional driver should also have comprehensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on inspecting the vehicle's engine and conducting repairs as needed to avoid any delays in services.
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.
Professional drivers and drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Driver | Driver | |
| Average salary | $49,556 | $34,771 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $73,000 | Between $22,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Vermont |
| Best paying company | - | Air Liquide |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a professional driver and a driver in terms of educational background:
| Professional Driver | Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 27% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between professional drivers' and drivers' demographics:
| Professional Driver | Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.6% White, 60.3% 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% |