Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Occupation-level safety SOC 53-3054

Taxi Drivers

Occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates set the reading order for Taxi Drivers, then wages beside peers such as Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers, Locomotive Engineers, First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Taxi Drivers: Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels ($92K) , Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers ($62K) , Locomotive Engineers ($81K) , First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Taxi Drivers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-3054 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Collect fares or vouchers from passengers, and make change or issue receipts as necessary
  2. 2. Communicate with dispatchers by radio, telephone, or computer to exchange information and receive requests for passenger service
  3. 3. Complete accident reports when necessary
  4. 4. Determine fares based on trip distances and times, using taximeters and fee schedules, and announce fares to passengers
  5. 5. Drive taxicabs or privately owned vehicles to transport passengers
  6. 6. Follow relevant safety regulations and state laws governing vehicle operation, and ensure that passengers follow safety regulations
  7. 7. Notify dispatchers or company mechanics of vehicle problems
  8. 8. Perform minor vehicle repairs, such as cleaning spark plugs, or take vehicles to mechanics for servicing
  9. 9. Perform routine vehicle maintenance, such as regulating tire pressure and adding gasoline, oil, and water
  10. 10. Pick up passengers at prearranged locations, at taxi stands, or by cruising streets in high-traffic areas
  11. 11. Provide passengers with assistance entering and exiting vehicles, and help them with any luggage
  12. 12. Provide passengers with information or advice about the local area, points of interest, hotels, or restaurants
Occupation safety grade
B
Safe
Transparent derived index from BLS CFOI/SOII, not an official BLS rating · formula
National median still $42,100/yr
$42K
National median
↑ +11%
Growth 2024-2034
22,600
Annual openings
41,050
Estimated US jobs
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Highest-pay peer · $92K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Taxi Drivers

1. Maine $36,960
2. New York $41,570
3. California $39,260
4. Texas $48,740
5. Missouri $37,560
6. New Hampshire $41,510
7. Oregon $37,120
8. Nevada $44,800
9. North Carolina $36,950
10. Colorado $43,490

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $92,460
  2. 2. Locomotive Engineers $81,410
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $62,890
  4. 4. Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers $61,770
  5. 5. Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters $78,000
  6. 6. Flight Attendants $63,580

Taxi Drivers carries an occupation-specific WageDex safety grade of B from BLS CFOI/SOII rates. The national OEWS median is $42,100 inside Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (SOC 53-3054).

Employment Projections expect +11% change between 2024 and 2034 (much faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 22,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Maine at $36,960. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels at $92,460. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Taxi Drivers pay-rank #36 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

On the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table (50 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Taxi Drivers lands at #36, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 53-3054 · national median $42,100 · lower third of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (#36/50). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Taxi Drivers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-3054

Maine · top state for Taxi Drivers

$37K published median

New York · #2 state pay

$42K · behind Maine

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Highest-pay peer vs Taxi Drivers · $92K

Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

Lower-pay peer beside Taxi Drivers · $62K

Compare Taxi Drivers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Taxi Drivers with another occupation →

Safety and risk next reads

Safest Occupations

Roles with the strongest published safety grades

Taxi Drivers full wage map

State and metro pay after the safety lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Taxi Drivers land on the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table? ▼
Taxi Drivers is pay-rank #36 of 50 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Material Moving Workers, All Other ($42K), Conveyor Operators and Tenders ($42K), Machine Feeders and Offbearers ($41K), Aircraft Service Attendants ($40K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do taxi drivers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Taxi Drivers. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
What is the OEWS national median for Taxi Drivers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $42,100 as the national median for Taxi Drivers. The published 10th-90th range is $34,650 to $75,800. Beside Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels ($92,460), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Taxi Drivers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Taxi Drivers is +11%. Projected annual openings: about 22,600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Taxi Drivers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Taxi Drivers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Taxi Drivers? ▼
Maine ($36,960), New York ($41,570), California ($39,260) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Taxi Drivers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-3054. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Taxi Drivers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics