How much does the average cabdriver make? Here is a look at some of the numbers from the first part of a recently completed three-phase study titled “Driven Into Poverty: A Comprehensive Study of the Chicago Taxicab Industry,” which Robert Bruno, a University of Illinois professor of labor and employment relations, has distributed to Chicago aldermen. The data is based on a 49-item survey administered to 920 of the city’s 12,000 or so cabdrivers from June to August 2008.
$1,459.99
Average monthly cost of fuel
$88.61
Average monthly cost of general upkeep
$171.24
Average monthly cost of airport taxes
$53.71
Average monthly cost of insurance deductible fees
$1,864.29
Average cost of monthly business model specific expenses
13.05
Average hours per shift
25
Average shifts per month
$4.38
Average hourly income
$54,723.92 – $42,402.96 = $12,320.96
Average gross annual income – Average annual expenses = Average net annual income
