Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs in the UK earned a median £26,783 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 31% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (42nd from the bottom).
A full-time median is published for men only; the sample of women is too small.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
From £21,341 in 2021, the median is up 25.5%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 173,900 people in this line of work, 25% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20th percentile | – | – | – | £12.25 |
| 25th percentile | – | – | – | £12.47 |
| 30th percentile | – | – | – | £12.55 |
| 40th percentile | – | £533.70 | £13.00 | £12.87 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £26,783 | £549.30 | £13.00 | £13.07 |
| 60th percentile | – | £561.40 | £13.80 | £13.74 |
| 70th percentile | – | – | – | £14.12* |
| Mean | £28,465 | £571.40 | £13.79 | £13.81 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £21,341* | £412.30* | £10.44 | £266.70* | 8* |
| 2022 revised | £20,864* | £444.30 | £11.16 | £349.30* | 10* |
| 2023 revised | £25,163 | £485.10* | £13.00 | £341.00* | 6* |
| 2024 revised | £26,616* | £539.80 | £13.45 | £344.70* | 7* |
| 2025 provisional | £26,783 | £549.30 | £13.00 | – | 6* |
Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs by region
UK: 173,900 (± 16,200), April 2025 to March 2026. 5 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 44,100* | ± 10,800 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 21,700* | ± 5,400 |
| North West | 21,200* | ± 5,600 |
| South East | 20,100* | ± 5,600 |
| West Midlands | 16,200* | ± 5,300 |
| East of England | 15,800* | ± 5,400 |
| South West | 8,800* | ± 3,400 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs do
Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs drive motor cars for private individuals, government departments and industrial and commercial organisations, drive taxis for public hire, drive new cars to delivery points and drive motorcycles and other motor vehicles. (ONS SOC 2020, 8213)
Also covers: carriage driver, chauffeur, mini cab driver, taxi driver, taxi owner, car shunter, hearse driver, minicab driver, motor driver, PCO driver, taxi owner-driver, taxicab driver, black cab driver, civilian police driver, driver and collector, hackney carriage owner, motor car driver and private hire driver (28 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Checks tyres, brakes, lights, oil, water and fuel levels and general condition of vehicle before start of journey
- Drives passenger-carrying motor cars, taxis and other motor cars and motorcycles, complying with road and traffic regulations
- Collects passengers when hailed or in response to telephone/radio message and helps them to secure their luggage
- Conveys passenger to destination and helps unload luggage
- Cleans, services and maintains vehicle or motorcycle
No academic qualifications are required but most entrants require a clean, current driving licence and a medical examination. Local authorities typically set their own tests of local knowledge and additional driving tests before awarding licences.
Related
Road transport drivers (median £35,733) · Bus and coach drivers · Delivery drivers and couriers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026