Taxi Drivers Salary
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, taxi drivers earn $28,530 at the median, or about $13.71 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $29,431 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,338/month, about 66.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About taxi drivers
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What this looks like in Milwaukee-Waukesha
Pay for taxi drivers in Milwaukee-Waukesha runs about 32% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,338/month, which is 65.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for taxi driverss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for taxi drivers in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $28K | $30K |
| Eau Claire | $26K | $28K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $37K | $35K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $35K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level taxi drivers (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Taxi Drivers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Taxi Drivers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $49K | +16% | 460 |
| Nevada | $45K | +6% | 2,980 |
| Colorado | $43K | +3% | 60 |
| New York | $42K | -1% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $42K | -1% | 80 |
| California | $39K | -7% | 3,880 |
| Missouri | $38K | -11% | 200 |
| Oregon | $37K | -12% | 240 |
| Maine | $37K | -12% | 50 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -12% | 120 |
| Maryland | $37K | -12% | 50 |
| Illinois | $37K | -13% | 190 |
| Michigan | $37K | -13% | 90 |
| Utah | $36K | -14% | 110 |
| Arizona | $36K | -14% | 950 |
| Minnesota | $36K | -15% | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -16% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $35K | -16% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $34K | -20% | 150 |
| Georgia | $33K | -21% | 120 |
| Virginia | $28K | -32% | 190 |
| Florida | $28K | -33% | 860 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -34% | 880 |
| Kansas | $27K | -36% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track taxi drivers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Milwaukee-Waukesha numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a taxi driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 65.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for taxi drivers in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new taxi drivers typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,455/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 92% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is taxi driver a high-paying job in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Local pay runs 32% below the national median — $29K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for taxi drivers?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -32%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do taxi drivers make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $28,530 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,250, and experienced taxi drivers can clear $35,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,034/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 65.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a taxi drivers salary go in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median taxi drivers salary is worth about $29,431 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do taxi drivers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.