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Taxi and private hire drivers among UK’s most thanked workers, study finds
Taxi and private hire drivers are among the workers most often thanked by customers, according to new research by delivery insurance provider Street Cover. The study ranked taxi and minicab drivers third, behind shop and checkout staff and waiting staff.
Drivers received a thank-you score of 26 for every 100 people included in the analysis, accounting for 10% of all job mentions. Street Cover said employed taxi and minicab drivers typically earn £26,800 a year for full-time work, around 31% below the typical UK full-time salary.
The pay estimate is based on official statistics for employees. It does not include drivers working through apps such as Uber, Street Cover said, so it may not reflect earnings across the wider private hire workforce. The study put typical hourly pay for employed taxi and minicab drivers at £13.11, 90p above the legal minimum used in the report.
The ranking was based on nearly 1,400 posts across 11 UK forum threads in which people discussed which workers they thank. Researchers sorted posts by the job mentioned and counted each person once for each job.
Shop and checkout staff topped the ranking, with a score of 67, followed by waiting staff at 39. Hairdressers and barbers scored 24, while delivery drivers scored 19. The report compared pay across the top 10 jobs with official UK statistics and the legal minimum wage.
Al Taylor, Head of Street Cover, said: “People appreciate the workers who keep everyday life moving, from delivery drivers bringing essentials to our doors to taxi drivers getting people safely to their destinations. Recognition from customers matters, but it’s equally important to recognise the practical and financial pressures these workers face.
“For people on wages close to the legal minimum, a tip is one small way that appreciation turns into something tangible. Customers often wonder where a tip ends up, and a Which? survey found that 31% of restaurant tippers weren’t sure who received it.
“Since October 2024, UK employers have had to pass tips on to staff, with no deductions other than tax and National Insurance. That includes card tips and service charges, so a tip left on the bill goes to the workers, not the business.”
