Transportation and Material Moving · Holland code RCS

Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs

Drive a motor vehicle to transport passengers on a planned or scheduled basis. May collect a fare. Includes nonemergency medical transporters and hearse drivers.

Also called: Chauffeur, Driver, Limo Driver (Limousine Driver), Shuttle Driver, Airport Shuttle Driver, Motor Coach Driver, Shuttle Bus Driver, Special Needs Bus Driver.

O*NET 53-3053.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $37,290; Middle half earn $32,710 to $45,700. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 56% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Test vehicle equipment, such as lights, brakes, horns, or windshield wipers, to ensure proper operation.
Check the condition of a vehicle's tires, brakes, windshield wipers, lights, oil, fuel, water, and safety equipment to ensure that everything is in working order.
Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.
Follow relevant safety regulations and state laws governing vehicle operation, and ensure that passengers follow safety regulations.
Operate vehicles with specialized equipment, such as wheelchair lifts, to transport and secure passengers with special needs.
Report any vehicle malfunctions or needed repairs.
Perform routine vehicle maintenance, such as regulating tire pressure and adding gasoline, oil, and water.
Pick up and drop off passengers at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.4 / 5
Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
Monitoring3.3 / 5
Speaking3.1 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
Active Learning2.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Customer and Personal Service4.6 / 5
Transportation4.5 / 5
Public Safety and Security4.4 / 5
English Language3.9 / 5
Personnel and Human Resources3.8 / 5
Administrative3.7 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic92
Investigative0
Artistic0
Social34
Enterprising19
Conventional53

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

bus route supervisor · DE Fahrdienstleiter Busverkehr/Fahrdienstleiterin Busverkehr · FR responsable exploitation bus
passenger fare controller · DE Fahrkartenkontrolleur/Fahrkartenkontrolleurin · FR vérificateur de titres de transport/vérificatrice de titres de transport
school bus attendant · DE Schulbusbegleiter · FR accompagnateur de bus scolaire/accompagnatrice de bus scolaire
hearse driver · DE Leichenwagenfahrer/Leichenwagenfahrerin · FR chauffeur de corbillard/chauffeuse de corbillard
patient transport services driver · DE Krankentransportfahrer/Krankentransportfahrerin · FR conducteur accompagnateur de personnes à mobilité réduite/conductrice accompagnatrice de personnes à mobilité réduite
private chauffeur · DE Dienstwagenfahrer/Dienstwagenfahrerin · FR chauffeur de maître/chauffeuse de maître

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs (8213)173,900 employed
Bus and coach drivers (8212)117,600 employed
Childminders (6114)42,900 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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