Taxi Driver Online

Needs no explanation.
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The Daily Telegraph (LONDON)

August 26, 2006 Saturday

HEADLINE: MR MONEY Who earns what? The results are nothing short of a national disgrace

A fascinating list of the best- and worst-paid workers in Britain was published by the Office for National Statistics this week. But only here, in Telegraph Motoring, can you find a definitive table of who earns what, on average, in the travel, transport and car-related job markets.

It's quite right and no great shock that aircraft pilots and flight engineers are top of the pay league, on a typical pounds 61,585 per annum, more than twice the UK average. Air traffic controllers are next on pounds 45,466 a year, followed by mechanical engineers coining pounds 35,623.

I know that police officers aren't, strictly speaking, in the car, transport or travel business but they do seem to spend an awful lot of their time persuing drivers, so I've included them and can report that cops to the rank of sergeant are on pounds 34,913 (with inspectors trousering pounds 51,487). In isolation those two figures don't seem unreasonable. But read on, discover what some of their "colleagues'' earn and you'll see why it's comparatively lucrative to be a policeman or woman these days.

If you're looking for the person who earns more than anyone else transporting people and goods on the ground, it's a train driver on pounds 34,211. They make more than transport and distribution managers ( pounds 33,597), ship and hovercraft officers ( pounds 30,793) and rail transport operatives ( pounds 30,436).

Compare that with garage managers and proprietors on pounds 27,940, which is below the average wage.

And while we're making comparisons, firefighters get pounds 26,352, which is nearly 9k less than cops. It's the same for paramedics ( pounds 26,336). Are we really to believe that a traffic cop at the scene of a road accident should be paid considerably more than a fireman whose duty is to cut victims from the wreckage or the paramedic who performs life-saving procedures at the roadside?

Crane drivers ( pounds 25,901), seafarers and boatmen ( pounds 24,152), auto electricians ( pounds 23,158) and dockers and stevedores ( pounds 23,036) follow. These are the guys who, among other things, drive new, foreign-built cars off the ships to the quayside.

I often see advertisements inviting people to become driving instructors and earn pounds 30k- pounds 40k a year. But the average wage for this type of worker is pounds 22,728, says ONS. Still, that's more than a vehicle assembler ( pounds 22,589), a rail travel assistant ( pounds 22,358) or a road construction operative ( pounds 21,899) makes. Still, the last makes more than a lorry driver ( pounds 21,869), a mechanic ( pounds 21,476) or a vehicle body builder/repairer ( pounds 21,446).

Ambulance staff ( pounds 21,348), vehicle spray painters ( pounds 21,194), transport and distribution clerks ( pounds 21,165) and traffic wardens ( pounds 20,573) at least creep over the 20k a year barrier.

Amazingly, bus and coach drivers don't because, on average, they get only pounds 19,548. Why so much less than an airline pilot or a train driver? Forklift truck drivers ( pounds 19,521), roundsmen and van salespeople ( pounds 19,031), agricultural machinery drivers ( pounds 17,865), van drivers ( pounds 17,809) and chauffeurs/taxi drivers ( pounds 17,353) are also surprisingly low-paid. That's assuming the above ONS figures are to be believed. I always feel I pay a high price for using cabs and in view of the amount I spend on fares and tips I cannot believe that the typical British cabbie earns as little as 17k a year/ pounds 343 a week.

Road sweepers get pounds 17,129 and that's an appalling rate of pay for people who do such a hard, dangerous, dirty, tedious but important job.

But my real anger is provoked by tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters who allegedly make pounds 15,515 a year (the second lowest wage earners after market traders and their assistants). To be more precise, my fury is directed at the employers who pay these valuable members of the motor trade such disgracefully low salaries, which works out at less than pounds 300 a week or under pounds 60 a day. In view of the fact that these people deal with tyres - one of the most important factors for car safety - they're worth at least double that.

And, unlike overpaid traffic wardens, they do a productive, positive job that the motoring public appreciates.
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Unfortunately it's near impossible to get a true figure for us drivers because the vast majority are self employed. We all know how much we earn, but us being so secretive no-one will give a true figure. Yes there are some who ony earn around 20k, but double that is nearer the true figure for a good driver. There again the hours we put in to achieve this is much higher.

If we got a figure for 37 hrs (like most work) then yes it's low. But which 37hrs? the busy 37 (£20-£30+ph) or the daytime 37 (£10-£15)?

I suppose if you asked how many have a place in the sun! that would give a fairer idea!!

There you have it the unionised earn the most at the bottom the unorganised surely theres no need to elaborate!!!

Accurate assessment.

Regards

JD

Not round my way you can't about 80 hours a week will earn you £20 to £25 K if you only want to do 40 hours a week well £10 to £12K

And before anyone misreads those figures just remember I'm in SKDC where we have deregulated fares so the customer always wins because it is so competitive nobody can put the fares up because there's always someone undercutting

Send a copy of that article with my next tax return.

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IDFIMH

It's worth pointing out here that 100% of the PH trade has deregulated fares. And I have been on this site since day 2 or 3, and have hardly seen many posts from the PH side moaning about their rates.

Maybe it's a case of not enough work rather than the wrong fare structure.

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IDFIMH

I agree, the amount of work will vary from area to area but at very busy periods you should be able to earn 20 pounds plus, depending on your tariff?

Regards

JD

Don't forget these are average earnings, my mate is a first officer for an airline and he's on £30,000pa.
If you are PAYE you get holiday pay as well.

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stressed controller!!!

Golly thats a lot more than I could ever earn.

Best I get some lessons booked.