Driving is a very useful skill. Drivers are much in demand in many industries. If you love cars and enjoy the feeling of getting behind the wheel, you’ll find many opportunities to earn a good living and be involved in a thriving career.
Ambulance Drivers / Paramedics
Ambulances serve a hugely important role in the world. When people call 9-11, they’re typically in the middle of an emergency. They need someone to come to their house or another place as soon as possible. An ambulance driver races to the scene of an accident in order to bring people the medical care they need immediately.
Once at the scene, they might help by bringing patients into the ambulance as well as making sure that other cars give the ambulance a lot of leeway so medical professionals can care for their patients.
Most companies that hire ambulance drivers expect them to be paramedics as well as being able to drive the ambulance. Becoming a paramedic varies by location but you’ll typically have to take at least a year of training and earn state certification. You’ll also need a driver’s license. Paramedics work in many diverse settings for hospitals and other healthcare organizations.
The typical salary for an ambulance driver is about $50,000 a year.
Babysitter / Childcare Worker
Babysitters and childcare workers supervise young children. They make sure kids are safe and sound when a parent isn’t there. A babysitter may be asked to fill for a few hours a week for a parent while a childcare worker has a nearly full schedule that spans many hours in a day.
Workers in this field work in varied settings such as preschools, daycares and elementary schools. They work in every town in the United States to help parents and children. Candidates need at least a high school diploma.
A candidate may be required to have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education to work in some jobs. Many childcare workers are expected to have a driver’s license in case something goes wrong and they need to bring their charges to seek medical attention. Typical salaries are about $25,000 a year but workers can also earn more money by assuming a supervisory role or opening up a facility of their own.
Bus Driver
Bus drivers follow a set route during an established shift. They pick up waiting passengers and let them off at preset locations. They also do things such as work with disabled passengers to help them get on and off the bus.
All applicants for this position must have a commercial driver’s license. They also need to pass exams specific to each individual location. The vast majority of bus driver jobs are in larger cities where fewer people drive and there is more demand for public transit.
A bus driver may earn upwards of $50,000 a year with overtime.
Chauffeur
Chauffeurs transport people from one location to the next. A chauffeur may work on their own or for a company that hires out cars. The chauffeur may also be assigned to a single person who cannot drive because of an underlying medical condition.
Applicants must have a driver’s license and a clean driving record. They also need to have people skills as well as being available on an as-needed basis in the event of sudden visitors. Salaries vary by location.
Employees in large cities like New York can expect a higher salary such as about $56,000. Many also earn additional money from tips.
Couriers
Couriers specialize in picking up and delivering packages to a given location. A courier might be called on to take lots of packages and make sure they get in the hands of the intended recipient at the end of their trip. Couriers are required to have a license in order to do their work.
Most such jobs are found in bigger cities where the need to have items delivered quickly tends to be greater. A courier can work for an agency or strike out on their own. Salaries for couriers who can strike out on their own can reach as high as $50,000 a year or more.
Race Car Driver
Race car drivers participate in car races. They get behind the wheel and try to drive faster than other drivers on the tracks in order to win prizes. A race car driver may work on their own or may choose to work as part of a team of drivers participating in races across the world.
A race car driver may also represent a company or a private individual. Race car drivers must demonstrate full mastery of all aspects of cars including how they work as well as how to repair a car. Salaries vary greatly.
Top drivers may earn a six-figure salary and be highly sought after by corporate sponsors. Hobbyists can enter the field on their, develop a good reputation. win local races and ultimately find a job.
Store Drivers
Stores need people to deliver items to customers. A busy mother may not have time to pick up her groceries. A store may also hire someone to deliver to her and their other clients during the day.
They may also hire someone to bring items to each store as part of an overall supply chain from one location to the next. A local store may only require the applicant to have a driver’s license. A larger company with many outlets might require the applicant to have a commercial driver’s license and follow a set route each day.
The standard driver can expect to earn about $35,000 a year and more with overtime.
Mailman
Mailmen deliver the mail. Six days a week, they bring packages, letters, magazines, and other items to the people on their route. Each day, mailmen sort through the mail and make sure it is part of their route.
Once they have the mail in hand, they bring it to individual mailboxes. Some mailmen and mail people have small routes that let them walk the entire way. However, most mailmen must take a mail truck in order to handle all the mail they need to bring with them.
In that case, the mail person must be able to drive as part of their work. A mail person earns about $47,000 a year for a full-time job. They work all over the country including large cities and small towns. Mailmen need a high school diploma or a GED.
Sanitation Worker
Sanitation workers gather up refuse and bring it to larger facilities where it is further sorted out. The material they bring may be recycled or brought to a local dump. A sanitation worker works a set route each day that covers a given area.
They’re employed by state and local governments. They typically work on a two-man crew. One person may drive the truck while the other worker collects the garbage and empties it into the truck.
Sanitation workers need at least a high school diploma and the ability to carry a certain amount of material into the truck. They also need to complete on-the-job training before getting officially hired.
School Bus Drivers
School bus drivers are trusted to pick up children and bring them to school safely. School bus drivers play a vitally important role. They watch over children under their care.
They also observe all necessary safety rules when on the road. A bus driver must make sure the child can get on the bus without being hit by a car. School bus drivers may work with young children or older kids.
They may also work with students with disabilities who need special care. The bus driver works a set shift in the morning and then works again in the afternoon. Many also work during the summer to bring kids to camp and school summer programs.
School bus drivers are required to pass background checks and earn a commercial driver’s license. They also need to respond to issues such as a sudden rain storm and keep children free from harm. The average school bus driver earns about $35,000 a year. They can find work all over the country.
Shuttle Driver
Shuttle drivers bring people to varied locations. A shuttle bus driver may work a route that includes picking up lots of passengers and bringing them to a hotel from the airport. The shuttle bus driver may also work at an airport transporting passengers from one terminal to the next.
They need to be able to help passengers figure out where they are going. They may also need to help them get their luggage in place when they climb on board and make sure it stays in place as they continue their route. The driver may work for a private company or may have a staff position at a hospital, airport or other official facility.
Drivers need to have a commercial driver’s license and at least a high school diploma. The average salary is about $31,000. Most drivers work in large cities or in places that get a lot of travelers.
Tanker Driver
Tankers are a very specialized form of transport. The tanker typically holds hazardous materials that must be handled carefully when on the road. This may include gasoline or items such as such as dangerous chemicals that can catch fire.
The tanker driver specialist needs to have at least a high school diploma. They also need to have a commercial driver’s license. In addition, the potential driver may also be asked to get a hazardous materials or (HAZMAT) endorsement indicating they have completed additional training in the handling of this kind of material.
Tanker drivers are expected to travel long distances in many cases in order to complete the order promptly. Most jobs can be found with large companies that specialize in the extraction business. These are jobs that can pay a starting salary of $40,000 but more with overtime and a long and proven track record in the field.
Taxi Driver
Taxi drivers take on passengers and bring them to a new location. A taxi driver may own their own car or they might work for someone else. Drivers work all over the world.
They might specialize in a given area such as picking up passengers from a busy airport or they might work picking up passengers as needed in a city such as New York. Some drivers work at night in order to pick up more money. The kind of license varies by location.
Some places, such as New York City, have high specific requirements. Others only ask applicants to have a standard driver’s license. A driver can also choose to work for a company such as Uber that lets the pickup passengers when they are doing other things.
Salaries vary widely depending on the driver’s background and work location but can be as high as $50,000 a year or more.
Local Truck Drivers
Local truck drivers specialize in regional truck driving. They deliver large items on short haul routes. This means keeping to a set area.
This kind of job can have a lot of advantages for the right candidate. Someone with a family can be assured of being home every right rather than being on the road for extended periods. A short-haul truck driver may deal with diverse items such as canned goods or books during their route.
In order to become a local truck driver, you’ll need to earn your commercial driver’s license. Many jobs of this kind can be found all over the country. The candidate may be asked to demonstrate they can carry large items from the truck and back again. Local truck drivers typically earn about $34,000 a year.
Commercial Truck Driver
A commercial truck driver is a truck driver who may be called on to deliver all sorts of items all over the country. Commercial truck drivers can work for themselves using their own rig. They can also work for a company that owns the truck they drive and hires workers for varied types of work.
A commercial truck diver may work a few weeks each month and then come home for a week off. Or they might work a few shorter hauls and come home each night. Commercial truck drivers need a commercial truck license and a high school diploma. They can find jobs all over the country. Typical earnings are about $39,000 a year.
Pizza Delivery Person
Pizza delivery drivers bring pizzas to people after they order one. They can work for a large pizza chain or a local pizza place. Pizza delivery people may use their own car or be given a company car.
Jobs in this field are found all over the country. Many are located in large areas such as college towns and major cities. A job as a pizza delivery person typically only requires someone to have a standard driving license and a few years of experience driving. The typical pizza delivery person earns about $12 an hour.