Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | Attorney / Lawyer | Commercial Driver (CDL) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Legal | Transportation |
| Median Salary | $145,760 | $54,320 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $586 | $97 |
| Difficulty | Very High | Medium |
| Education | JD (3 years post-bachelor) | CDL Training (3-7 weeks) |
| Exam | Bar Exam (UBE or State) | CDL Knowledge + Skills Test |
| Time to License | 7 years | 1-2 months |
| Renewal Period | Every 2 yr | Every 5 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 24 hrs | 0 hrs |
| States Requiring | 53 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
Attorney / Lawyer earns $91,440 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $914,400 in additional earnings.
The LicenseWize editorial team aggregates and verifies licenses data from Bureau of Labor Statistics & State Licensing Boards. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.