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Taxi Drivers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 53-3054 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$42,099
$20.24/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Taxi Drivers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$35K
P25$38K
P50$42K
P75$61K
P90$76K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $42,099 to $60,965 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Taxi Drivers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

BLS's May 2025 median estimate for this role is 16.2% above its May 2024 estimate. A swing that large usually reflects survey sampling or classification changes between OEWS vintages rather than actual pay changes, so lean on the sector wage-growth benchmark (3.1% per year, BLS ECI) for planning.

Hiring demand · MODERATE

the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.2 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Taxi Drivers is $42,099 per year ($20.24/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $37,794 and $60,965 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $75,795 per year. There are approximately 41,050 taxi drivers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+11.1%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
23K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
204K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
10% from new growth90% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 4 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Taxi and Limousine Service
NAICS 485300
41K$42,100
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
NAICS 485900
260$37,570
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services
NAICS 621900
40$30,880
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
30$28,600
Wage range across top 5 industries: $28,600 to $42,100 (47% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$16.66$34,653
P25$18.17$37,794
P50MEDIAN$20.24$42,099
P75$29.31$60,965
P90$36.44$75,795

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%

The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average taxi drivers salary?

The national median salary for Taxi Drivers is $42,099 per year ($20.24/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $37,794 and $60,965 annually.

How much do top-earning taxi drivers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Taxi Drivers is $75,795 per year ($36.44/hr). The 75th percentile is $60,965 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for taxi drivers?

Entry-level Taxi Drivers (10th percentile) earn approximately $34,653 per year ($16.66/hr). The 25th percentile is $37,794 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations
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Taxi Drivers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California3,880 workersNevada2,980 workersArizona950 workersWisconsin880 workersFlorida860 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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