said by GeekNJ :

I don't think CB is anything like ham radio. I guess the absolute most basic concept of station to station communications over the airwaves is the same, but I think it stops there.

The closest communications equivalent between CB and Ham is a simplex SSB conversation. That is where CB's capabilities really end. Amateur radio starts there and what you can do with a CB is what most new amateurs start out with but it also includes repeater communications where there's a central frequency that allows many folks that can't talk direct between 2 stations to still have a conversation as long as each can make contact with the repeater.

And from there it just goes on to worldwide communications on different bands, different modes of communications, etc. And then factor in the community involvement for emergencies, etc and the world of ham radio is monstrous compared to what a CB can do.

it doesn't hurt to study and pass your tech exam which is the first step and costs no more then $15 to become a licensed amateur radio operator and experience this all for yourself. Of course, it's just the beginning and a radio can run you $100 or less to many thousands.