The landscape for taxi drivers in New York City has changed dramatically in recent years.
The rise of ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft has hurt passenger demand, and ongoing debates over driver wages make headlines. Despite the competition, many New Yorkers still rely on traditional yellow cabs, particularly for street hails in busy areas like Midtown Manhattan and the airports.
According to the job platform Indeed, updated as of July 2025, the average taxi driver in New York City earns $26.26 per hour, a figure that sits 31% higher than the national average. The data is based on thousands of job postings over the past three years and highlights just how variable pay can be across boroughs and locations.
Hourly Wages by Location (Indeed data)
Queens: $43.97
Brooklyn: $33.57
Manhattan: $26.26
Bronx: $21.89
Kingston: $18.59
Riverhead: $17.30
Buffalo: $16.82
Cortland: $16.37
Hudson: $16.25
The numbers suggest that drivers in Queens - home to both LaGuardia and JFK airports - earn the most, thanks to heavy airport traffic and high demand for longer trips into Manhattan.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also tracks employment, noting that New York State ranks third in the nation for taxi driver employment, trailing only larger, car-dependent states.
As the industry continues to adapt to app-based ride-hailing competition, driver earnings remain closely tied to location, time of day, and passenger demand. For many, working in New York City still offers some of the most competitive wages in the country for cab drivers.