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The differences between residential drivers and commercial 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 commercial driver. Additionally, a commercial driver has an average salary of $46,852, 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 commercial driver are customer service, CDL, and ladders.
| Residential Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $36,713 | $46,852 |
| Hourly rate | $17.65 | $22.52 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 751,657 | 1,016,123 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| 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 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.
Residential drivers and commercial drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Average salary | $36,713 | $46,852 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $48,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Plymouth, MA | Auburn, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Waste Management | Laramie County Community College |
| Best paying industry | Government | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a residential driver and a commercial driver in terms of educational background:
| Residential Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between residential drivers' and commercial drivers' demographics:
| Residential Driver | Commercial Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% |
| 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, 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% |