Taxi Drivers
Also called: Cab Driver, Taxi Cab Driver, Taxi DriverDrive a motor vehicle to transport passengers on an unplanned basis and charge a fare, usually based on a meter.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 16 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 11.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 4.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $36,120 | $34,580 to $46,080 | 950 |
| California | $39,260 | $39,260 to $39,260 | 3,880 |
| Colorado | $43,490 | $38,580 to $45,360 | 60 |
| Florida | $28,060 | $28,030 to $28,070 | 860 |
| Georgia | $33,430 | $32,910 to $39,610 | 120 |
| Illinois | $36,770 | $34,910 to $43,410 | 190 |
| Kansas | $26,970 | $25,310 to $37,440 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $33,850 | $28,670 to $36,760 | 150 |
| Maine | $36,960 | $36,610 to $47,160 | 50 |
| Maryland | $36,900 | $34,270 to $39,680 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $35,270 | $34,800 to $35,370 | not published |
| Michigan | $36,670 | $34,790 to $37,460 | 90 |
| Minnesota | $35,710 | $30,860 to $37,600 | 150 |
| Missouri | $37,560 | $32,830 to $38,020 | 200 |
| Nevada | $44,800 | $39,170 to $65,670 | 2,980 |
| New Hampshire | $41,510 | $28,390 to $41,600 | 80 |
| New York | $41,570 | $36,030 to $42,100 | not published |
| North Carolina | $36,950 | $35,690 to $41,600 | 120 |
| Oregon | $37,120 | $34,870 to $39,710 | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,480 | $31,770 to $37,850 | 210 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,620 | $24,720 to $36,100 | 50 |
| Texas | $48,740 | $37,700 to $60,470 | 460 |
| Utah | $36,390 | $26,810 to $36,990 | 110 |
| Virginia | $28,490 | $26,580 to $45,070 | 190 |
| Wisconsin | $27,820 | $24,630 to $28,990 | 880 |
Nationally: $42,100. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Collect fares or vouchers from passengers, and make change or issue receipts as necessary. | Not published |
| AI + software | Communicate with dispatchers by radio, telephone, or computer to exchange information and receive requests for passenger service. | Not published |
| AI + software | Complete accident reports when necessary. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine fares based on trip distances and times, using taximeters and fee schedules, and announce fares to passengers. | Not published |
| Not much | Drive taxicabs or privately owned vehicles to transport passengers. | Not published |
| Not much | Follow relevant safety regulations and state laws governing vehicle operation, and ensure that passengers follow safety regulations. | Not published |
See all 16 tasks
| AI alone | Notify dispatchers or company mechanics of vehicle problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform minor vehicle repairs, such as cleaning spark plugs, or take vehicles to mechanics for servicing. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform routine vehicle maintenance, such as regulating tire pressure and adding gasoline, oil, and water. | Not published |
| Not much | Pick up passengers at prearranged locations, at taxi stands, or by cruising streets in high-traffic areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide passengers with assistance entering and exiting vehicles, and help them with any luggage. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide passengers with information or advice about the local area, points of interest, hotels, or restaurants. | Not published |
| AI alone | Report to taxicab services or garages to receive vehicle assignments. | Not published |
| Not much | Test vehicle equipment, such as lights, brakes, horns, or windshield wipers, to ensure proper operation. | Not published |
| Not much | Turn the taximeter on when passengers enter the cab, and turn it off when they reach the final destination. | Not published |
| Not much | Vacuum and clean interiors and wash and polish exteriors of automobiles. | Not published |
O*NET hasn't rated these tasks, so they're in O*NET's own order. 0 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 11 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #19 Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists
- #39 Determine values or prices of goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities |
Show all 11 activities
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Inspect vehicles | |||
| Collect fares or payments |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation28%
- A plan or strategy28%
- An explanation or answer21%
- A document or report14%
- An email or message3%
How they worked with Claude
14% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for taxi drivers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 18,727 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 9%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 4%
- 4 Light Truck Drivers Moderate +6.3% 3%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 28,918 moves in
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 3 Light Truck Drivers Moderate +6.3% 3%
- 4 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 3%
- 5 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%
The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. This occupation comes from “Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs”, which today also includes “Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs”, so these figures cover it too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 13% less than high school
- 34% high school
- 22% some college
- 9% associate's
- 17% bachelor's
- 5% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,746 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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