Taxi Driver
Taxi drivers pick up passengers who hail, phone or book a cab, and drive them to their destination for a metered fare.
- Median salary*
- $54,600
3.8%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 13,800
0.7%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +9.3%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 48/wk
+8h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Taxi drivers operate a licensed cab, picking up passengers from ranks, phone bookings, apps or a street hail, and charging a fare set by the regulated meter rather than a dynamic app price. Most lease the car and its taxi plate from a fleet owner or network and pay a bailment fee for the shift, so the fare income is theirs only once that cost is covered. The role is often confused with rideshare driving, but a taxi driver holds a separate driver authorisation and can legally take a hail from the street, which a rideshare driver cannot.
How much do taxi drivers earn?
The median full-time salary for a taxi driver is $54,600 per annum, before tax, up $11,300 since 2018.
What a taxi driver takes home depends heavily on how the car is arranged: drivers who lease a vehicle and plate pay a bailment fee before they keep anything, while those who own their plate keep more of the meter. Shift choice matters too, since Friday and Saturday nights and airport work carry more fares than a quiet weekday morning. Fares themselves are set by state regulation, so the meter rate is not something a driver negotiates.
What does a taxi driver do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Handling whatever the next fare brings, from a quiet airport run to a difficult pickup at three in the morning
- Choosing a route when the navigation app and local knowledge disagree, because the meter runs either way
- Keeping the car fuelled, clean and roadworthy, since running costs come straight off the day's takings
- Taking card payments at the meter and squaring the shift's takings against the bailment fee owed to the fleet owner
- Deciding which hours and ranks to work, because takings depend on being where the fares are
What skills do taxi drivers need?
Employers look for driving and transport operations, operations management, backed by taxi meter fluency and strong customer service.
Specialist skills
- Driving and transport operations
- Operations management
Software and tools
- taxi meter
- GPS navigation (Google Maps, Waze)
- payment terminal (EFTPOS)
- two-way radio
- vehicle maintenance toolkit
General skills
- Customer service
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
- Safety and compliance awareness
Is the job growing?
About 13,800 people work as taxi drivers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 9.3% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a taxi driver?
Here's the path most taxi drivers take, step by step.
- 1Hold a full driver licence with a clean record
Every state requires an unrestricted car licence before you can apply for passenger transport work, and traffic offences or a history of licence suspensions will usually rule you out.
- 2Apply for a driver authorisation or passenger transport accreditation
This is issued by the state regulator, not the taxi company, and it covers a police check, a medical assessment and sometimes a driving history review. Requirements and names for the accreditation vary by state.
- 3Complete any local knowledge or induction requirements
Some networks and regulators still ask for an area knowledge test or a formal induction, and it helps to learn the major routes, hospital and hotel ranks before your first shift.
- 4Join a fleet or network, or buy your own plate
Most new drivers start by leasing a vehicle from a fleet owner and paying a bailment fee per shift, which keeps upfront costs low. Buying a taxi plate or an accredited vehicle is a bigger commitment and suits drivers who already know the work.
Ready to apply as a taxi driver?
Whether you're working toward becoming a taxi driver or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a taxi driver move to?
Moving into Truck Driver typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $47,300 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck Driver Taxi drivers bring road experience and customer handling, and truck driving builds on this with a heavy vehicle licence.Known move | +$47,300 | 47% | short course |
| Security Guard Security guarding uses shift work and public contact, and taxi drivers can move across with a security licence and relevant training.Known move | +$39,900 | 31% | reskill |
| Bus Driver Taxi drivers already carry passengers and know road rules, so bus driving adds a passenger vehicle licence and scheduled route work.Known move | +$38,700 | 53% | short course |
| Delivery Driver Taxi drivers bring navigation and customer service, and delivery driving applies these to parcel and food routes with little extra training.Known move | +$13,400 | 47% | short course |
| Chauffeur Chauffeur work uses the same passenger driving and local knowledge, needing only a minimal change in credential.Known move | +$2,600 | 83% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a taxi driver?
The typical taxi driver is 50 years old; 94% are men, 52% work full-time, and full-timers average 48 hours a week.
- 50
- Median age
- 6%
- Female share
- 52%
- Full-time
- +8h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a taxi driver?
The job is solo, self-directed and paid by results: you decide when to sign on, which ranks to sit at and when to call it a night, and the meter answers back immediately. That freedom is the main reason drivers stay, and the reason the work can be hard to predict, because a quiet shift still costs the same in bailment and fuel. It suits people who are comfortable alone in a car for long stretches and who can stay civil with a stranger at the end of a twelve-hour day.
What people like
- You set your own hours. Drivers choose their shifts and can fit the work around study, family or a second job, which is unusual in transport work.
- Every shift is different. Passengers range from a chatty tourist to a silent late-night fare, so the day rarely follows a fixed script.
- No one looking over your shoulder. Once the shift starts, you are on your own in the car, deciding routes and breaks without a supervisor.
- A clear measure of a good day. Takings are visible at the meter, so drivers who work the busy hours can see exactly what their shift earned.
What people find hard
- Takings swing with the shift. A wet Friday night and a quiet Tuesday morning pay very differently, but the costs of the car stay roughly the same.
- The costs land before the income. Bailment fees, fuel, insurance and repairs come out of the fares, so a slow start to the week can mean working to break even.
- Long hours behind the wheel. Full-time taxi drivers average around 48 hours a week, most of it seated, which takes a toll on backs, hips and concentration.
- Difficult passengers and late-night risk. Drivers deal with drunk, rude or non-paying passengers, often alone at night, and have to manage the situation while still driving.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ taxi drivers?
Transport, Postal and Warehousing employs the largest share of taxi drivers.
Top employing industries
- 1Transport, Postal and Warehousing
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Year 12 or below | 39.1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree | 17% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 15.8% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 12.3% | |
| Postgraduate | 8.7% |
Will AI replace taxi drivers?
Taxi driving sits in the middle: dispatch, metering and payment are already handled by software, and booking apps do the job a radio operator once did, so the administrative side of the role is heavily automated. What remains firmly human is the driving itself and the passenger handling around it, which is why a licensed driver still has to be in the car on every trip.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Driving passengers through trafficSteering, lane changes, reading other drivers and getting a nervous passenger home safely are still entirely the driver's job.45%low
- Choosing a route and navigatingGoogle Maps and Waze suggest a route, but the driver decides when to override it for roadworks, a school zone or a rank that is worth sitting at.20%moderate
- Taking fares, payments and dispatch bookingsMeters, EFTPOS and booking apps calculate the fare, process the card and assign the next job, leaving the driver to confirm the amount and the pickup.20%high
- Looking after the car and the passengersCleaning, fuelling, checking the vehicle is roadworthy and dealing with a drunk or distressed passenger have no automated equivalent.15%low
Common questions about becoming a taxi driver
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does a taxi driver earn in Australia?
The median full-time income for a taxi driver is $54,600 per annum, before tax, and the hours you work shape it more than the rate does. Because most drivers lease the car and pay a bailment fee, take-home pay also moves with shift choice, fare regulation in your state and how much of the running cost you carry yourself.
How do you become a taxi driver?
You need a full driver licence, a police check, a medical assessment and a driver authorisation or passenger transport accreditation issued by your state regulator. After that, most drivers start by leasing an accredited vehicle from a fleet or network rather than buying a plate outright. Requirements and the name of the accreditation differ between states.
Is there demand for taxi drivers?
Taxi drivers are currently not in shortage. Employment is projected to grow 9.3% over the decade to 2035, so the work is not disappearing, though the mix has shifted towards app bookings and airport and rank work as rideshare has taken a share of street hires.
Will AI replace taxi drivers?
The parts of the job that are already automated are dispatch, metering and card payment, and booking apps now match most passengers to cars without a radio operator. Driving itself has not been automated in Australia: a licensed person still has to be behind the wheel, manage passengers and handle whatever happens on the road. Driverless trials are running in some cities, but they remain limited to specific areas and do not yet cover the full job.
What can a taxi driver move into?
Chauffeur work uses the same passenger driving and local knowledge, with only a minimal change in credential, and chauffeurs earn $2,600 more than taxi drivers. Bus driving adds a passenger vehicle licence and scheduled route work through a short course, and truck driving applies the same road experience to freight instead of people. Many drivers eventually buy a plate or their own accredited vehicle and operate independently, which is often where earnings grow.
Do taxi drivers work for themselves?
Many do, in effect. Leasing a car from a fleet owner makes you responsible for your own hours, takings and customer service, and some drivers go further and buy a taxi plate or an accredited vehicle to run as a small business. That independence is also the risk: no sick pay, no paid leave and the car's costs sit with you.
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