How Much Does a Limousine Driver Get Paid?
Taking the wheel, and the responsibility of getting passengers from place to place, is the occupational burden of a limousine driver. Whether the driver is hired for a couple of hours or as part of a permanent transportation team, limo drivers must be aware of all the rules of the road and keep their passengers safe and content along the way. Many variables may affect a limousine driver's salary, including location and type of industry of employment.
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License to Drive
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Limousine drivers need to obtain more than just the standard driver's license for their state. If the vehicle will hold more than 16 people (such as a stretch SUV limo), the driver needs a commercial driver's license with passenger endorsement. This usually requires attending a short-term program and passing an additional driver's test. Other requirements may include classroom training and practice drives. It is up to each employer to determine whether training is part of the employee package. In some cases, employers may take the cost of training out of the driver's first few paychecks.
National Average
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In 2009, the approximately 167,740 limousine drivers in the country earned a median salary of $21,960 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Limo drivers at the highest salary pay point earned $35,020. Those at the lowest earned $15,950. The BLS did not factor into account personal chauffeurs, such as drivers who work for celebrities or politicians. Their salaries may be much higher. The BLS also did not include statistics on tips in its calculations, since they're usually not reported. The salary reported is solely the base salary.
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Best Drives
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Limousine drivers in the District of Columbia earned the highest salaries in the country, with wages of $31,960, though drivers in Connecticut were close behind earning $31,050. Nevada paid its limo drivers $29,460 and came in at the top of the BLS list of the largest per-capita employer of limo drivers in the country. Massachusetts paid the fourth-highest limo driver salaries, at $27,280, followed by New York at $26,610.
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A small section of industries paid their limousine drivers significantly higher than the average salary. Taxi and limousine services were the country's largest employer in the field, but their average salary of $26,130 didn't make the BLS highest-paying list. At the top was the financial investment activities industry, which paid drivers $57,690. The aerospace product and parts manufacturing industry also paid a considerably higher rate of $50,030. Limo drivers for performing arts companies earned $49,250, while the motion picture and video industries paid drivers $44,710.
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References
- Photo Credit side of limo. image by Empath from Fotolia.com
