jobfacts

Other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c.

SOC 2020 8239

Job holders in this unit group monitor the activities of bus drivers, conductors and other road transport depot drivers, undertake various tasks related to water transportation, and perform other transportation tasks not elsewhere classified in minor group 823: Other drivers and transport operatives.

Also calledBridgemanTraffic superintendentInspectorSuperintendentDepot inspectorBridge driverand 137 more titles
Typical full-time pay£35,7002025 Provisional
People in the job23,000across the UK
New adverts a month857↓ 1.8%on last year · 206th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c. earn, 2025
£35,700 typical£28,40025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%£28,400
Median£35,700
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £35,700
South East!£30,300
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £35,700
South East£30,300 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 2 years
  • 2024 £38,600
  • 2025 Provisional£35,700
↓ 7.6% since 2024Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 857 jobs for other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026879
Jul 2026900
Jun 2026886
May 2026842
Apr 2026812
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026892
Jan 2026881
Dec 2025441
Nov 2025950
Oct 20251,006
Sept 2025942
Aug 2025960
Jul 2025973
Jun 2025929
May 20251,058
Apr 2025867
Mar 20251,065
Feb 2025991
Jan 2025821
Dec 2024462
Nov 2024681
Oct 2024932
Sept 2024934
Aug 2024988
Jul 2024918
Jun 2024913
May 2024964
Apr 2024897
Mar 2024721
Feb 2024772
Jan 2024825
Dec 2023571
Nov 2023637
Oct 2023666
Sept 2023651
Aug 2023791
Jul 2023828
Jun 20231,157
May 20231,009
Apr 2023893
Mar 2023902
Feb 2023998
Jan 20231,117
Dec 2022831
Nov 20221,018
Oct 20221,104
Sept 20221,114
Aug 20221,061
Jul 20221,065
Jun 20221,118
May 20221,111
Apr 2022946
Mar 20221,107
Feb 20221,134
Jan 20221,309
Dec 20211,097
Nov 20211,169
Oct 20211,163
Sept 20211,252
Aug 20211,005
Jul 20211,285
Jun 20211,011
May 20211,034
Apr 2021974
Mar 20211,205
Feb 2021739
Jan 2021724
Dec 2020648
Nov 2020802
Oct 20201,093
Sept 2020968
Aug 2020851
Jul 2020705
Jun 2020550
May 2020430
Apr 2020552
Mar 2020941
Feb 20201,233
Jan 20201,014
Dec 20191,047
Nov 20191,106
Oct 20191,169
Sept 20191,017
Aug 20191,085
Jul 2019933
Jun 2019951
May 20191,073
Apr 2019744
Mar 2019896
Feb 2019882
Jan 20191,013
Dec 2018557
Nov 2018971
Oct 20181,129
Sept 20181,055
Aug 20181,010
Jul 2018864
Jun 20181,105
May 2018881
Apr 2018903
Mar 20181,036
Feb 2018882
Jan 20181,119
Dec 2017657
Nov 2017886
Oct 20171,031
Sept 20171,160
Aug 20171,011
Jul 2017970
Jun 20171,098
May 20171,119
Apr 2017882
Mar 2017960
Feb 2017805
Jan 2017812
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
27%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, which includes other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London285
Wiltshire54
Bristol, City of43
Birmingham34
Tonbridge and Malling33
Manchester33
Somerset32
Southampton30
Glasgow City28
Buckinghamshire28
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c. are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c.
n/p
n/p
33%!
25%!
30%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4433% (small sample)
45–5425% (small sample)
55–6430% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!8.1%
Higher education below degree!10%
A levels or equivalent!32%
GCSEs or equivalent!22%
Other qualifications!21%
No qualifications!20%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent8.1% (small sample)
Higher education below degree10% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent32% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent22% (small sample)
Other qualifications21% (small sample)
No qualifications20% (small sample)

Main employers: freight transport by road (12%), regulation of and contribution to more efficient operation of businesses (12%), urban and suburban passenger land transport (11%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
8.1%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 32%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • checks that vehicles run as scheduled, monitors number of passengers travelling particular routes and makes recommendations for improvement of services
  • organises relief and replacement crews as necessary, ensures compliance with regulations regarding the carrying of passengers and luggage, and submits reports of any irregularities
  • checks that goods have been correctly loaded into vehicle, monitors and records information from tachograph, and arranges for servicing, refuelling, cleaning and repair of depot vehicles
  • operates and maintains lighthouses and navigational lights in harbours, and assists in mooring craft
  • operates and maintains locks, opens and closes moving bridges across inland waterways and docks, and measures depth of water in canals, rivers, etc. to determine possible dumping or dredging sites
  • guides horses or ponies and drives horse drawn vehicles to transport goods and passengers

Skills

  • lift heavy weights
  • use different communication channels
  • apply techniques for stacking goods into containers
  • implement efficiency plans for logistics operations
  • operate forklift
  • dispatch order processing
  • stack goods
  • tolerate stress
  • accommodate cargo in freight transport vehicle
  • adapt to changing situations
  • analyse supply chain strategies
  • climb on railcars
  • ensure public safety and security
  • follow stock control instructions

Knowledge

  • freight transport methods
  • safety regulations for warehouses
  • health and safety measures in transportation
  • international regulations for cargo handling
  • national regulations on handling cargo
  • products coding system

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, a group of 14 jobs that includes other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c..
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 6.7%about 80,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035748,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.