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The differences between residential drivers and cdl class a drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a residential driver and a cdl class a driver. Additionally, a cdl class a driver has an average salary of $52,203, which is higher than the $36,713 average annual salary of a residential driver.
The top three skills for a residential driver include CDL, safety equipment and clean waste. The most important skills for a cdl class a driver are OTR, customer service, and hazmat.
| Residential Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $36,713 | $52,203 |
| Hourly rate | $17.65 | $25.10 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 751,657 | 696,903 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The duties of a residential driver depend on their line of work or employer. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around providing private transport to clients or providing public transportation services within residential areas. There are instances where they must communicate with clients, establish contracts, or be on call any time of the day. Furthermore, as a residential driver, it is essential to abide by all the traffic laws and perform regular vehicle maintenance checks to ensure a safe and healthy service to clients.
A CDL Class A driver is a driver with a Class A commercial driver's license. A commercial driver's license is necessary to operate large, heavy, and placarded vehicles. There are several classifications of a commercial driver's license, and Class A is for a car towing a trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (5 t). Drivers with this type of license are entitled to operate a commercial motor vehicle such as passenger buses, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and dump trucks. They have the choice to add endorsements to their CDL, which allows them to operate particular types of commercial motor vehicles.
Residential drivers and cdl class a drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Average salary | $36,713 | $52,203 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $48,000 | Between $36,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Plymouth, MA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Waste Management | Mid-South Management |
| Best paying industry | Government | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a residential driver and a cdl class a driver in terms of educational background:
| Residential Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between residential drivers' and cdl class a drivers' demographics:
| Residential Driver | CDL Class A Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |