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

Median salary
$37,290
Rank #770 of ~830 BLS occupations
10-year growth
+7.1%
2025–2035, average
Employment
249K
BLS 2025
Projected 2034
269K
BLS projection
Official O*NET description

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 $37,290 per year, ranking in the top 93% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +7.1% job growth through 2035, 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 $37,290. That puts shuttle drivers and chauffeurs at #770 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.

Full salary distribution (national, BLS 2025)
10th percentile (entry-level)$28,090
25th percentile$32,710
50th percentile (median)$37,290
75th percentile$45,700
90th percentile (top earners)$55,070
Median hourly wage$17.93/hr

Is shuttle drivers and chauffeurs a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs is +7.1%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 251K positions in 2024 to 269K in 2034, a net change of 18K. 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. 1.Drive shuttle busses, limousines, company cars, or privately owned vehicles to transport passengers.
  2. 2.Notify dispatchers or company mechanics of vehicle problems.
  3. 3.Communicate with dispatchers by radio, telephone, or computer to exchange information and receive requests for passenger service.
  4. 4.Operate vehicles with specialized equipment, such as wheelchair lifts, to transport and secure passengers with special needs.
  5. 5.Pick up or meet passengers according to requests, appointments, or schedules.
  6. 6.Provide passengers with assistance entering and exiting vehicles, and help them with any luggage.
  7. 7.Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.
  8. 8.Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.

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.

Active Listening
3.4
Operation and Control
3.3
Monitoring
3.3
Critical Thinking
3.3
Speaking
3.1
Service Orientation
3.1
Social Perceptiveness
3.1

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.

Actual education levels of working shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents: what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.

High school diploma
56.2%
Some college courses
26.1%
Less than high school
17.3%
Post-secondary certificate
0.2%
Master's degree
0.2%

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 $37,290 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Is shuttle drivers and chauffeurs a growing career?

BLS projects +7.1% growth for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs from 2025 through 2035, 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 2025–2035 release.