A Gen Xer gave up gig work with Amazon to become a full-time bus driver. He's nearly doubled his hourly income and loves the benefits.

• A former Amazon Flex driver said he's making thousands of dollars more as a bus driver in Seattle.
• He gets health and retirement benefits, makes upwards of $40 an hour, and works plenty of overtime.
• He said his bus driver job has allowed him to live more comfortably and have more stability.

Jason Timss, 54, worked for Amazon Flex in the Seattle area, putting in long days and making between $25 and $35 an hour, when his neighbor told him about a bus driving position she recently took.

Frustrated with his irregular income delivering packages for Amazon with his own vehicle, he applied to be a bus driver at King County Metro, the Seattle area's public transit authority, five years ago. For the first few years, he balanced working part-time as a bus driver and Amazon Flex independent contractor as he built up more experience with King County Metro.

He recently quit his gig job with Amazon Flex and started working with King County Metro full-time. Due to guaranteed raises, he's on track to make around $45 an hour next year with retirement and union benefits, as well as overtime, as he typically works nine- to 10-hour days.

"It's a great job for people to start over in their life that can lead people to fix their lives," said Timss, who previously worked in video and photography and now said he's living a comfortable life.

An increasingly large number of Americans are looking for jobs like grocery delivery and digital freelancing to make money and craft their own schedules. In fact, the number of US gig workers is estimated to have more than doubled during the pandemic. While this is mainly concentrated among younger Americans, many Gen Xers and boomers have left the corporate world for more flexible gig work.

However, some gig workers have cautioned the work has become harder to get amid growing competition, while others have seen their wages fall over the last few years.

As a result, some of the gig drivers who are searching for more stability have recently looked to bus driving, which pays around $54,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many transit authorities offer paid sick leave, 401(k) contributions, and health and dental insurance, which can entice gig drivers who don't earn similar benefits working for companies like Uber or DoorDash.

Making the transition to bus driving

At Amazon Flex, Timss said he was earning at least $1,000 each week. Some days, he would only have to deliver a handful of packages close by, but on others, he would essentially break even with the amount of money he'd spend on gas. And occasionally, there would be little work for him to do, which stressed him out.

He enjoyed his Amazon Flex job because it gave him lots of flexibility and paid his bills, but he said he rarely got rewarded with perks like bonuses for years of near-perfect driving. For instance, he would have liked to get more profitable rides as a result of his years at the company.

What's more, he grew frustrated by the warehouses that were slow to prepare the packages he needed to deliver, since it would delay his work. Additionally, since it snowed often in his area, vehicle upkeep was particularly costly in the winter.

The bus agency assigned him to part-time work at first — four-and-a-half hour shifts — and paid him around $24 an hour. Additionally, he needed to learn how to drive a bus and get the proper licenses and training.

He said it was rough working for both Amazon Flex and King County Metro simultaneously, as he would have to work long hours and constantly alternate his schedule given the unpredictability of the assigned bus routes.

"When I first started, I'd have to do a super early bus route in the morning for three hours, and then I'd go do some Amazon Flex, and then I had to come back later in the afternoon and do another three-hour bus route," Timss said.

But once he converted to full-time, he was making a lot more and was given more freedom to choose his routes.

A 'night and day' difference

Now, it's "night and day" between his old and new job, as he feels more respected and better compensated, he said. He's on track to make $80,000 this year from King County Metro, less than what he would have made if he worked his normal hours each week, as he's been partly off on medical leave. Still, he's currently making about $40 an hour and has been trying to get back to more consistent driving across the city's different routes.

What's more, he said he's on track to make about $10,000 a month next year before taxes. He gets medical and dental insurance, as well as fairly regular raises.

Timss said his job at King County Metro, where he works later shifts, is demanding, though he said the job is perfect for older gig workers looking to make a transition to something more stable. The agency helped him get a commercial driver's license through its own school.

"After you're in, there's all kinds of careers and training you can apply for with the bus or city," he said. "Gig work really should be a stepping stone or get you by."

Have you recently left a gig job for a more stable full-time position? Contact this reporter at [email protected].