Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-3053 · O*NET 53-3053.00
Drive a motor vehicle to transport passengers on a planned or scheduled basis. May collect a fare. Includes nonemergency medical transporters and hearse drivers.
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs fall under the Transportation and Material Moving category in the U.S. occupational classification. Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs earn a median salary of $36,670 per year, ranking in the top 93% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +6.7% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do shuttle drivers and chauffeurs earn?
The median annual wage for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs is $36,670. That puts shuttle drivers and chauffeurs at #749 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $27,490 |
| 25th percentile | $31,460 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $36,670 |
| 75th percentile | $44,510 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $52,910 |
| Median hourly wage | $17.63/hr |
Is shuttle drivers and chauffeurs a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs is +6.7%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 243K positions in 2024 to 260K in 2034, a net change of 17K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do shuttle drivers and chauffeurs do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working shuttle drivers and chauffeurs, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.
- 2.Follow relevant safety regulations and state laws governing vehicle operation, and ensure that passengers follow safety regulations.
- 3.Notify dispatchers or company mechanics of vehicle problems.
- 4.Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilation systems for passenger comfort.
- 5.Operate vehicles with specialized equipment, such as wheelchair lifts, to transport and secure passengers with special needs.
- 6.Perform routine vehicle maintenance, such as regulating tire pressure and adding gasoline, oil, and water.
- 7.Pick up and drop off passengers at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules.
- 8.Prepare and submit reports that may include the number of passengers or trips, hours worked, mileage driven fuel consumed, or fares received.
Top skills for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become shuttle drivers and chauffeur?
Many shuttle drivers and chauffeurs enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
What is the median salary for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs?
The median annual salary for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs is $36,670 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is shuttle drivers and chauffeurs a growing career?
BLS projects +6.7% growth for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become shuttle drivers and chauffeur?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to shuttle drivers and chauffeurs?
Related occupations within the Transportation and Material Moving category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.