Monthly Income Exceeds One Million!　Why the Bubble of “Blue-Collar Billionaires” Taxi Drivers is Booming!

The Mystery of Monthly Income in Excess of 1 Million Yen

The term “blue-collar billionaire” has been attracting attention. This term refers to people who earn large sums of money in the so-called “blue-collar” fields of labor, such as construction, manufacturing, and logistics. Although the term is often associated with the image of “hard but not profitable,” wages in this field have been on the rise in recent years, partly due to a shortage of labor.

Among these, the number of “billionaires” is increasing in the cab industry. According to a survey conducted by X Mile Corporation (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), which operates the “Crosswork” job site for the logistics, construction, and manufacturing industries, 61% of cab drivers, especially those in Tokyo, have achieved a monthly income of 1 million yen. Taxi drivers are gaining recognition as a lucrative industry.

In the same survey, about 50% of drivers in Tokyo said that they can aim for an annual income of 10 million yen, and the average monthly income of more than 500,000 yen was about 37%, indicating that cab drivers in Tokyo are making more money.

An Unprecedented Bubble Created by Taxi Dispatch Apps

On the other hand, looking outside of Tokyo, the wage gap between Tokyo and the rural areas is also highlighted, with approximately 60% of the total monthly salary of taxi drivers being less than 400,000 yen.

One possible factor is the large population of Tokyo. Another significant factor is the increase in the number of cab users due to the increase in inbound travel. Mr. Homma, a recruiting consultant at X Mile, the company that conducted the survey, told us about additional factors.

The increase in the number of cab users due to taxi-dispatch apps such as Uber and GO, and the increase in the number of people without cars have also contributed to the increase in cab use. As a result, some people commute from outside of Tokyo, from Chiba and Gunma prefectures, to work for Tokyo cab companies.”

Inbound travel, apps, and changing attitudes toward private cars seem to have created the recent cab bubble in Tokyo.

The One Million Monthly Income Trap as Revealed by the Frontline

However, when we spoke to a man who works for one of Tokyo’s cab companies, he said, “One million yen a month in monthly income? 　 I’ve never heard of that at a corporate cab company,” he denied it. A driver working for another cab company responded , “To earn 1 million yen a month, you need monthly sales of 2 million yen, or 150,000 yen per day, so it is almost impossible.

There seems to be a discrepancy between the survey and the perception in the field, and the difference between “corporate cab” and “private cab” is what is causing this difference.

Corporate cab drivers working for cab companies receive approximately 60% of their income from sales. In addition, they work 11 to 13 days per month, and are prohibited by law from working more than 13 days.

The corporate cab driver mentioned above worked “Monday 9:00 to 2:30, Tuesday off, Wednesday 9:00 to 2:30, Thursday off, Friday 9:00 to 2:30,” with a mandatory three-hour break during the workday. If he worked 13 days, he would make 650,000 yen a day and earn 390,000 yen. If he doubled the average, he would earn 780,000 yen.

On the other hand, a private cab driver’s income is the amount of sales minus expenses. Considering that the highest monthly sales of a corporate cab driver was 1.1 million yen, a monthly income of 1 million yen is feasible.

Is an annual income of 10 million yen possible for corporations?

Looking back at the survey again, the breakdown of the respondents is <70 out of 177 respondents, or about 40%, are private cab drivers>. Although it is unclear how many of these respondents indicated that they had achieved ¥1 million in monthly income, it is likely that the responses from private cab drivers accounted for a larger percentage of the “¥1 million per month” figure.

Nevertheless, since the nationwide percentage of respondents who have achieved ¥1 million is approximately 46%, this means that approximately 6% of corporate cab drivers have achieved this goal.

“Even in the corporate cab industry, the total monthly salary is 800,000 yen, and the take-home pay is about 600,000 yen. There are many corporate taxi drivers who earn 10 million yen a year. There is no doubt that this is an industry where one can aim for an annual income of 10 million yen. It can be said that the cab industry is a profitable industry right now,” said Homma.

The corporate cab driver mentioned above earned approximately 5 million yen a year in his first year, and another driver also felt that his income “went up” in his first year, drawing attention as an industry where one can earn as much as one works hard. Mr. Homma says, “The taxi dispatch app makes it easy for users to get a ride.

The app has made it easier for users to call for a cab, and drivers can now find customers more consistently. Cab company recruiters say that the app has had a significant impact on their sales. The working environment has also improved in recent years, due in part to the strengthening of measures against “harassment.

Young people and women are rushing to work as taxi drivers

Against this backdrop, the number of people wishing to change jobs to become cab drivers is increasing.

Currently, the number of prospective cab drivers registered on our website is 2.3 times that of ’24 and ’25. In addition, the percentage of men and women who want to change jobs in the cab industry is about 12%, compared to 6.8% for other logistics drivers,” says Homma.

The number of people in their 20s who want to become drivers is also increasing. Cab drivers vary in their work styles and motivations.

One of the attractions is the freedom to choose whether to start in the morning or in the afternoon, and whether to work day or night shifts. Mothers with children sometimes work while their children are at home.

Even those in their early 20s can earn 400,000 or 500,000 yen in take-home pay, nearly twice as much as their peers. In some cases, people who want to start their own businesses or are pursuing their dreams use cabs to earn funds.

One 68-year-old woman said, ‘I’m going on an overseas trip with my grandchildren,’ and was earning 500,000 yen a month. I think the appeal of this business is that you can earn money regardless of age or gender,” said Homma.

In addition, conditions for corporate cab drivers differ from those of regular cab drivers in the case of hired cars.

According to one hired car driver, “There are no regulations on the hours of operation for hired cars, so you can earn money with overtime. It is difficult to earn 1 million yen, but you can aim for 800,000 yen or 10 million yen a year. One step toward becoming a “blue-collar billionaire” would be to gain experience as a corporate cab or for-hire driver and then aim for a monthly income of 1 million yen as a private cab driver.

The corporate driver mentioned above says, “You work one day and have the next day off. I have plenty of time to do what I want, and the more I earn, the more I earn, so it is very rewarding. Even if you don’t aim for 1 million yen in take-home pay, you can earn 350,000 to 400,000 yen if you work a normal shift.” Another driver emphasized the advantages , saying, “I can work at my own pace, including when to take breaks during working hours, so I have a high degree of freedom.

As disadvantages, he cited “long working hours, no paid vacations (if you take time off, your income will decrease accordingly), and a high risk of accidents.

In the U.S. and China, self-driving cabs are now available. Self-driving cabs are now available in the U.S. and China, and will soon appear in Japan as well. However, there is no doubt that private cab drivers are one of the industries with the greatest potential for “blue-collar billionaires,” and corporate cab drivers can also expect a stable income.

In this age of uncertain prospects, cab drivers are establishing themselves as one of the most profitable jobs.

(Reference: “White Paper on Cross-Work Work”)