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Transportation and Material Moving · Holland code RCS

Taxi Drivers

Drive a motor vehicle to transport passengers on an unplanned basis and charge a fare, usually based on a meter.

Also called: Cab Driver, Taxi Cab Driver, Taxi Driver.

O*NET 53-3054.00

At a glance

US median annual pay
$42,100
Middle half earn $37,790 to $60,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
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.

  • Collect fares or vouchers from passengers, and make change or issue receipts as necessary.
  • Communicate with dispatchers by radio, telephone, or computer to exchange information and receive requests for passenger service.
  • Complete accident reports when necessary.
  • Determine fares based on trip distances and times, using taximeters and fee schedules, and announce fares to passengers.
  • Drive taxicabs or privately owned vehicles to transport passengers.
  • Follow relevant safety regulations and state laws governing vehicle operation, and ensure that passengers follow safety regulations.
  • Notify dispatchers or company mechanics of vehicle problems.
  • Perform minor vehicle repairs, such as cleaning spark plugs, or take vehicles to mechanics for servicing.

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.

  • Realistic79
  • Investigative2
  • Artistic0
  • Social30
  • Enterprising25
  • Conventional63

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)

  • motorcycle delivery person · DE Auslieferer mit Motorrad/Auslieferin mit Motorrad · FR coursier véhicules 2 roues/coursière véhicules 2 roues
  • armoured car driver · DE Fachkraft im Geld-, Wert- und Sicherheitstransport · FR convoyeur conducteur de fonds/convoyeuse conductrice de fonds
  • 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
  • taxi driver · DE Taxifahrer/Taxifahrerin · FR chauffeur de taxi/chauffeuse de taxi

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

  • Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs (8213)173,900 employed
  • Bus and coach drivers (8212)117,600 employed
  • Heavy and large goods vehicle drivers (8211)273,400 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.

Japan

Japan classifies jobs in its own way. The closest category that names the same work is “タクシー運転者”, which may be narrower or broader than this occupation.

Median monthly pay
¥286,300
Middle half earn ¥212,200 to ¥371,400 a month.
Workers in the category
170,210
Regular employees in firms of ten or more.

Scheduled monthly pay before tax, excluding overtime and bonuses, so it is not comparable to the annual figures above. Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, via e-Stat, under the Japanese Government Standard Terms of Use. The category match was made by hand.

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
CountryMedian 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.

Take the career interests test

Occupation data: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Values were rounded, tasks limited to the most important eight, and combined with the sources named in each section; O*NET has not reviewed or endorsed this adaptation. Pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. International titles: ESCO, European Commission. UK classification and employment: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence.