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The differences between residential drivers and driver/owner operators 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 driver/owner operator. Additionally, a driver/owner operator has an average salary of $169,793, 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 driver/owner operator are CDL, DOT, and OTR.
| Residential Driver | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $36,713 | $169,793 |
| Hourly rate | $17.65 | $81.63 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 751,657 | 170,784 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| 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.
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.
Residential drivers and driver/owner operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Driver | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Average salary | $36,713 | $169,793 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $48,000 | Between $69,000 And $417,000 |
| Highest paying City | Plymouth, MA | Savannah, GA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Texas |
| Best paying company | Waste Management | Clean Harbors |
| Best paying industry | Government | Energy |
There are a few differences between a residential driver and a driver/owner operator in terms of educational background:
| Residential Driver | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between residential drivers' and driver/owner operators' demographics:
| Residential Driver | Driver/Owner Operator | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| 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, 12.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 3.8% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |