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The differences between tow truck drivers and water truck 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 tow truck driver and a water truck driver. Additionally, a water truck driver has an average salary of $50,440, which is higher than the $38,555 average annual salary of a tow truck driver.
The top three skills for a tow truck driver include transport vehicles, CDL and customer service. The most important skills for a water truck driver are CDL, asphalt, and post-trip inspections.
| Tow Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Yearly salary | $38,555 | $50,440 |
| Hourly rate | $18.54 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 666,918 | 860,835 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 57% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Typically working upon the directives of dispatchers, a tow truck driver is in charge of driving to areas where a vehicle accident or breakdown took place, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting them to repair stations or particular places. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to identify their needs, answering inquiries, providing assistance by performing minor repairs, changing tires or jump-starting cars, and recommending solutions when necessary. Furthermore, as a tow truck driver, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks on towing trucks for a safe and efficient service.
Water truck drivers are professional drivers who are required to drive trucks to transport water for construction projects, oil rigs, and crews working in remote sites. These drivers must demonstrate their ability by driving their trucks in unpredictable weather conditions and navigating in heavy traffics. They must conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections while performing preventive maintenance on their trucks to ensure safety while driving. Water truck drivers must also check all load documents to ensure that they are accurate and received the required signatures for pickup and delivery.
Tow truck drivers and water truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tow Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average salary | $38,555 | $50,440 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $50,000 | Between $35,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Auburn, WA | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | MBI Energy Services |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a tow truck driver and a water truck driver in terms of educational background:
| Tow Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 57% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between tow truck drivers' and water truck drivers' demographics:
| Tow Truck Driver | Water Truck Driver | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 3.7% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |