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Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Drive a motor vehicle to transport passengers on a planned or scheduled basis. May collect a fare. Includes nonemergency medical transporters and hearse drivers.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $37,290 Median per year · $17.93/hr Most earn $28,090–$55,070

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.
  • Read maps and follow written and verbal geographic directions.
  • Arrange to pick up particular customers or groups on a regular schedule.
  • Vacuum and clean interiors, and wash and polish exteriors of automobiles.
  • Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilation systems for passenger comfort.
  • Pick up or meet passengers according to requests, appointments, or schedules.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
7% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 35,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Other transit and ground passenger transportation25.3%
  • Automobile dealers7.2%
  • Taxi and limousine service6.9%
  • Services for the elderly and persons with disabilities5.6%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals5.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs usually need a high school diploma, a valid driver's license, and a clean driving record. Most people gain 2 to 4 years of other driving or customer-service experience before getting this job, so it is not usually a first job straight out of school.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school, get a driver's license as soon as you're eligible, and build a clean driving record that employers will check.

  2. Light Truck Driver

    1-3 years

    Drive delivery or light cargo routes to build hands-on driving experience, time management, and a safety record that shows you're dependable behind the wheel.

  3. Shuttle Driver

    2-4 years total experience before this step

    Transport passengers on a set schedule, such as airport, hotel, or medical appointment shuttles, while providing friendly customer service and handling fares or sign-ins.

Where it can lead

  1. Dispatcher

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move from driving to assigning drivers, tracking routes, and handling schedule changes, which requires good communication and organization skills.

  2. Transportation Manager

    Several years in dispatch or supervision of experience first

    You oversee drivers, vehicles, budgets, and safety compliance, which usually takes proven leadership and a strong record in operations.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take driver's educationA driver's ed course, where your school offers one, helps you get licensed and start with safe driving habits employers look for.
  • Take English and speech classesClear communication helps you greet passengers, give directions, and handle questions or complaints professionally.
  • Get a customer-facing part-time jobWorking at a store, restaurant, or front desk builds the service skills and reliability that shuttle work depends on.
  • Volunteer to drive for a community groupHelping at a senior center, church, or food bank gives you real experience transporting people safely and courteously.
  • Take a first aid or CPR classMany local groups offer these courses, and the skills are useful for medical transport and passenger safety.

In college

  • Take customer service or communication coursesThese classes build the professional communication skills that matter when you serve passengers every day.
  • Work a part-time driving or delivery jobDelivery or driving work where you're old enough builds the driving record and experience employers look for.
  • Pursue a business, hospitality, or logistics minorCourses in these areas help if you want to move from driving into dispatch or management later.
  • Take a defensive driving courseCompleting one can strengthen your safety knowledge and may help your record and insurance.
  • Get a campus job that uses scheduling or routing toolsExperience with schedules and maps prepares you for dispatch and route planning.

Tips for getting started

  • Keep your driving record clean, since most employers check it before hiring and it matters for insurance.
  • Look for part-time customer service or driving work while in school to build the 2 to 4 years of experience many employers expect.
  • Check your state or city's rules for chauffeur, passenger-transport, or medical transport licenses, because requirements vary by location.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Ground Transportation Certificate: typical pay 1 year after finishing $48,327 a year · typical debt $6,365

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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