This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marcus Thompson, a chauffeur in Tampa, Florida. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider verified the earnings information.
I’ve been in the Tampa area for about eight years now. I moved down here to work in film.
But when jobs in that industry slowed to a crawl here around 2023, I turned back to a gig I was familiar with: chauffeur. I had done that work before in New York, so I was used to it.
For me, the job is mostly driving a luxury SUV or sedan and providing chauffeur service in professional black-tie attire. I work for a company that provides the cars and coordinates the rides, but I’m a gig worker.
My passengers are mostly executives going to or from the airport Friday through Sunday. The weekends are my busiest days. I pick up pilots who are moving between airports on weekdays, though.
I work as a chauffeur part-time and make about $10,000 a year from that. That’s a lot less than I made in New York about 10 years ago, driving stretch limos. There, I would make between $1,000 and $2,000 on a weekend.
One reason for the difference is that customers tipped me directly at my old gig in New York. The hourly wage was low, but the company I worked for there said upfront that about 80% of what you made came from tips.
At my gig here in Florida, people tip the company when they book a ride. Occasionally, a rider will tip me in cash when we arrive at the destination. Most of the time, though, the company pays me around $40 an hour, and that’s all I make. I don’t get a breakdown showing how much of my pay came from tips and how much came from the company.
Recently, I got a new job with a different chauffeur service. I haven’t started driving for them yet, but I’m optimistic that I will make more money overall because the owner used to be a driver and was adamant that chauffeurs there get all of their gratuities.
I think a lot of executives and others who take black-car services are under the impression that when they give a tip, it’s going to their driver. That’s not always the case. I wish more of them understood that.
My goal is to find a way to do this gig where my skill set is valued. As a driver, you have to deal with people from all walks of life.
Have a tip? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.
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