Taxi driver job title linked to highest private car insurance quotes in new occupation pricing study
- Perry Richardson
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Taxi drivers have emerged as the occupation attracting the highest private car insurance premiums in a new UK study examining how job titles influence pricing, even when all other driver details remain unchanged.
Research conducted by Marshall Motor Group analysed insurance quotes across 100 occupations and found that premiums varied by as much as 42% for men and 45% for women based solely on occupation. The findings place taxi drivers at the top of the pricing table, despite the quotes being based on standard social and commuting cover rather than specialist taxi insurance.
The study found male taxi drivers received an average annual quote of £531.36, while the female taxi driver profile was quoted £562.41. By comparison, firefighters and police officers received the lowest premiums, with annual quotes of £372.04 for men and £387.44 for women. That represents a difference of £159.32 per year between the highest and lowest occupations for male drivers.
Although taxi drivers topped the rankings, the research does not relate to commercial hire-and-reward insurance, which licensed taxi and private hire drivers require to carry passengers. Instead, it reflects how insurers view occupation when quoting for a standard privately insured vehicle.
Insurers are likely to associate taxi driving with increased annual mileage, prolonged exposure to traffic and more time spent driving in urban areas, all of which can influence perceived risk when calculating premiums, even if the vehicle itself is not being insured for commercial use.
Ben Welham, motoring expert at Marshall Motor Group, said: “Most drivers understand that age, postcode and driving history affect insurance prices, but may be surprised at how much their job title can influence a quote.
“Insurers look at patterns and trends across thousands of claims and use that data to assess risk, so even when two drivers are otherwise identical, their occupation can make a noticeable difference to the premium offered.”
The research also found that female driver profiles received higher quotes than equivalent male profiles across all 100 occupations included in the study. Marshall Motor Group did not explain the underlying reasons for that finding, although insurers calculate premiums using a wide range of risk factors and statistical models.
Beyond taxi drivers, the most expensive occupations for male drivers included construction workers, fashion designers, roofers, scaffolders, social workers and nurses. For women, construction workers, nurses, photographers, cleaning supervisors, journalists and fashion designers featured among the highest quoted professions.
For the taxi industry, the findings reinforce the wider insurance challenges already facing drivers. Commercial taxi insurance premiums have risen sharply in recent years because of inflation, higher repair costs, vehicle theft, parts shortages and increased claims costs. The latest study suggests that the occupation itself may also have an impact when drivers insure a separate private vehicle for personal use.
