I left school with no qualifications and now I work in a job that earns up to £100k a year – the overtime is £36 an hour
EVERYDAY thousands upon thousands of people get on the tube for their commute, whether that be to go to work, to a tourist attraction or home.
More often than not, people think about how busy the line they’re on is or how frustrating that there’s another red signal preventing them from getting to their destination.
But have you ever stopped to think about who is manning the giant piece of machinery or how much they earn a year?
According to documents released to the Sunday Times under the Freedom of Information laws back in 2018, there are tube drivers that earn more than £100,000.
In fact, in that year to November, there were nine drivers who were paid more than £100,000 and another 30 made more than £80,000.
Meanwhile, overtime rates are around £36, making it even more lucrative for drivers who operate a tube line.
And a night train operator earns around £55,000 to £59,999 per year according to the Transport for London’s (TfL) 2022 Copy of Job Titles and Responsibilities of Senior Staff.
So it’s no wonder why one person asked Tube driver Sarah how to get the same job.
Being an open book, TikTok user @tubedriversarah shared: “So essentially, you can only really become a Tube driver if you work for Tfl.
“I joined the Underground eight years ago as a station assistant.”
Sarah went on to share that she didn’t plan to become a Tube driver, but she simply “went for it” and it paid off.
She went on: “The only other time they employed from outside the company was when Night Tube came out because they were desperate for drivers to do Night Tube.
“But it’s all one contract now.”
Sarah then advised people who want to become a Tube driver to get a job in Tfl as soon as they can.
“You don’t need to have a degree or anything to work as a station assistant, which is why I got the job,” she shared. “Because, I don’t have a degree.”
Calling it a “closed door”, she acknowledged that it’s not ideal for those looking to get a job in this specific area.
Sarah said she highly recommends working at the stations anyways as you get “good perks” and it’s a good experience.
In the comments, she added: “Just to add, I poorly worded that. I didn’t get the job because I don’t have a degree, I meant it didn’t matter”.
People were quick to comment as one person said: “I’m guessing that’s the same with the DLR”.
And another asked: “Yes you are one of the lucky tube drivers that get to still actually drive the trains….. If you could switch to any other line would you?”
She replied: “I feel very lucky, I love it! I’d love to drive an S stock,” before adding: “I’ve thought about going to District before, but I’m fond of Bakerloo.”