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The differences between semi truck drivers and cdl 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 semi truck driver and a cdl driver. Additionally, a cdl driver has an average salary of $63,112, which is higher than the $57,712 average annual salary of a semi truck driver.
The top three skills for a semi truck driver include CDL, DOT and log book. The most important skills for a cdl driver are DOT, CDL-A, and customer service.
Semi truck drivers and cdl drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Semi Truck Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Average salary | $57,712 | $63,112 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $86,000 | Between $41,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bismarck, ND | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Mid-South Management | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Retail |
There are a few differences between a semi truck driver and a cdl driver in terms of educational background:
| Semi Truck Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between semi truck drivers' and cdl drivers' demographics:
| Semi Truck Driver | CDL Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |