How much do bus drivers make?

Bus Driver salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity (SOC 53-3052) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Bus drivers in the US earned a median of $59,050 a year ($28.39 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $47,530 to $70,700.

Median annual pay: $59,050; Mean $60,280
Median hourly pay: $28.39; Mean $28.98
Typical range (10th–90th): $40.0K–$84.7K; $40,030 to $84,700
US jobs: 159,240; +4.1% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a bus driver: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: New York

Bus Driver pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$40,030
25th percentile$47,530
Median$59,050
75th percentile$70,700
90th percentile$84,700

Half of all bus drivers earned more than $59,050 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $40,030; the top 10% made over $84,700. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $47,530 to $70,700.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$40,030	$19.25	$3,336
25th	$47,530	$22.85	$3,961
Median (50th)	$59,050	$28.39	$4,921
75th	$70,700	$33.99	$5,892
90th	$84,700	$40.72	$7,058
Mean (average)	$60,280	$28.98	$5,023

Bus Driver salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for bus drivers by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. New York $84,480
2. Washington $72,280
3. Hawaii $68,500
4. California $67,130
5. Oregon $65,510

Lowest-paying states

51. Arkansas $37,520
50. Alabama $37,700
49. Mississippi $38,570
48. West Virginia $39,260
47. Kansas $41,340

Best after cost of living: New York. Its median of $84,480 is worth about $78,279 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$37,700	50	$42,444	51	$18.13	960	0.46
Alaska	$64,150	9	$62,672	7	$30.84	250	0.76
Arizona	$53,870	22	$53,508	25	$25.90	3,240	1.00
Arkansas	$37,520	51	$43,158	50	$18.04	570	0.44
California	$67,130	4	$60,630	14	$32.27	24,380	1.34
Colorado	$63,010	10	$61,144	13	$30.29	3,540	1.23
Connecticut	$60,100	16	$58,006	18	$28.89	1,830	1.08
Delaware	$60,510	15	$60,626	15	$29.09	380	0.79
District of Columbia	$55,580	19	$50,573	34	$26.72	150	0.21
Florida	$48,300	35	$46,705	45	$23.22	9,130	0.92
Georgia	$45,500	42	$47,252	42	$21.87	3,700	0.76
Hawaii	$68,500	3	$62,300	9	$32.93	2,190	3.50
Idaho	$49,000	30	$51,312	32	$23.56	520	0.61
Illinois	$65,200	8	$65,227	5	$31.35	8,650	1.42
Indiana	$58,410	17	$62,585	8	$28.08	2,130	0.67
Iowa	$45,890	38	$52,289	29	$22.06	1,560	1.00
Kansas	$41,340	47	$45,899	47	$19.87	430	0.30
Kentucky	$54,550	21	$60,504	16	$26.22	2,570	1.29
Louisiana	$48,860	32	$55,392	22	$23.49	1,490	0.77
Maine	$57,870	18	$59,629	17	$27.82	470	0.73
Maryland	$65,220	7	$62,139	10	$31.35	4,890	1.77
Massachusetts	$65,460	6	$61,897	11	$31.47	3,970	1.09
Michigan	$47,660	37	$49,534	37	$22.91	3,620	0.82
Minnesota	$50,200	29	$50,902	33	$24.13	2,610	0.88
Mississippi	$38,570	49	$44,357	48	$18.54	400	0.34
Missouri	$60,660	14	$66,794	4	$29.16	1,860	0.63
Montana	$45,640	39	$48,222	40	$21.94	450	0.87
Nebraska	$45,120	43	$50,076	36	$21.69	460	0.45
Nevada	$61,700	12	$61,713	12	$29.66	2,540	1.64
New Hampshire	$54,830	20	$52,638	26	$26.36	300	0.44
New Jersey	$61,140	13	$56,192	20	$29.40	6,420	1.50
New Mexico	$45,610	41	$49,462	38	$21.93	580	0.67
New York	$84,480	1	$78,279	1	$40.61	16,770	1.73
North Carolina	$44,060	44	$46,710	44	$21.18	2,900	0.59
North Dakota	$48,890	31	$54,958	23	$23.50	250	0.58
Ohio	$62,760	11	$67,648	2	$30.17	4,000	0.72
Oklahoma	$50,300	28	$57,261	19	$24.18	1,760	1.03
Oregon	$65,510	5	$63,380	6	$31.50	2,620	1.33
Pennsylvania	$51,360	26	$52,638	27	$24.69	4,710	0.78
Rhode Island	$48,610	34	$47,526	41	$23.37	70	0.13
South Carolina	$43,330	45	$46,219	46	$20.83	630	0.27
South Dakota	$41,590	46	$46,949	43	$19.99	410	0.90
Tennessee	$47,770	36	$51,997	30	$22.97	1,970	0.60
Texas	$48,740	33	$50,218	35	$23.43	11,600	0.82
Utah	$50,730	27	$51,313	31	$24.39	1,230	0.71
Vermont	$53,830	23	$54,952	24	$25.88	440	1.45
Virginia	$52,940	24	$52,362	28	$25.45	3,800	0.93
Washington	$72,280	2	$67,543	3	$34.75	6,960	1.96
West Virginia	$39,260	48	$43,867	49	$18.87	520	0.74
Wisconsin	$52,660	25	$55,965	21	$25.32	2,220	0.76
Wyoming	$45,630	40	$49,228	39	$21.94	130	0.45

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for bus drivers

169 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$90,460	$90,266	2,180
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$83,430	$75,072	4,430
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$80,170	$76,047	2,130
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$78,900	$68,245	5,540
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$78,130	$69,410	19,770
Columbus, OH	$73,790	$77,292	700
Salinas, CA	$71,290	$65,378	180
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$70,700	$71,517	300
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$70,680	$66,260	810
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$70,120	$64,766	3,270

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	19,770	$78,130	$69,410
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	10,140	$68,020	$59,895
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	7,080	$65,200	$62,937
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	5,540	$78,900	$68,245
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	4,430	$83,430	$75,072
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	4,070	$65,220	$59,899
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	3,620	$48,300	$42,311
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	3,400	$50,430	$51,131
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	3,270	$70,120	$64,766
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	2,590	$46,430	$46,403

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves bus driver pay: employers and settings

The figures on this page are for transit and intercity bus drivers. BLS counts school bus drivers as a separate occupation, so their pay is not included here.

Who runs the buses matters most. More than half of transit and intercity drivers work for local government transit agencies, where the median is $64,590; state government drivers have a median of $70,700. Private companies pay less at the median, $50,270. By industry, urban transit systems pay $57,820; charter bus companies $48,420; other ground passenger transportation $48,330; and interurban and rural bus lines $46,860.

Location adds a wide spread. New York has the highest median at $84,480, followed by Washington at $72,280, Hawaii at $68,500, California at $67,130, and Oregon at $65,510. At the low end are Mississippi at $38,570, Alabama at $37,700, and Arkansas at $37,520. New York still leads after adjusting for living costs.

Across the occupation, pay runs from $40,030, the 10th percentile, to $84,700, the 90th. Overtime, split-shift premiums and part-time versus full-time schedules account for part of that range.

Where bus drivers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	55%	$64,590
Urban Transit Systems	17.1%	$57,820
Charter Bus Industry	8.2%	$48,420
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation	5.4%	$46,860
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	4.9%	$70,700
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation	3.5%	$48,330

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	63,150	$50,270
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	8,220	$70,700
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	87,870	$64,590

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Bus Driver pay over time

Median annual pay, 2019–2025

$59.0K $43.0K

2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $43,030 in 2019 to $59,050 in 2025, up 37% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2019 median is worth $54,014 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 9% over the period.

The series starts in 2019 because BLS changed how it defines or publishes this occupation before then, so earlier figures are not comparable.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What bus drivers do

A bus driver carries passengers on a set route or to a set destination in a vehicle large enough to need a commercial driver's license. City transit operators run fixed routes through urban and suburban streets, stopping every few blocks and keeping to a timetable. Intercity and charter drivers cover longer trips between cities or take groups to events, tours and airports. School bus drivers take students to school, home and to activities.

The driving is only part of the job. Before each run, drivers do a pre-trip inspection of brakes, lights, tires and fluids. On the road they work the wheelchair lift or ramp, help older riders and people with disabilities board, answer route questions, and deal with fare disputes, crowding or unruly riders. School bus drivers also manage a bus full of children and follow strict rules at stops and railroad crossings.

Transit drivers work out of a garage and report to dispatchers and supervisors. Schedules can start before dawn, run late into the evening, or be split into a morning and an afternoon piece.

A typical day

Inspect the bus before leaving the yard and report defects
Drive the assigned route and keep to the timetable in traffic
Deploy the ramp or lift and secure wheelchairs
Check fares or passes and answer questions about routes and transfers
Calm disputes and call dispatch about emergencies, delays or accidents
Stop safely at railroad crossings and follow school bus loading rules
Log mileage, fares, incidents and hours as required

Also called: school bus driver, bus operator, charter bus driver, coach operator, motor coach driver, motor coach operator, transit bus driver, transit coach operator.

How to become a bus driver

Full guide

To become a bus driver, get a commercial learner's permit, complete federally required entry-level training, and pass the CDL skills test with a passenger (P) endorsement, plus a school bus (S) endorsement for school routes. Many transit agencies and school districts train new hires, so it can take as little as a few weeks.

Typical time: 1-3 months; Fastest: About 3-4 weeks
Minimum education: High school diploma or equivalent (typical); no college required
License: Commercial driver's license with passenger (P) endorsement required in all states; school bus drivers also need an S endorsement
Typical training cost: $0–$4.5K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a bus driver: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 1-3 months; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $0–$4.5K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $59,050; $8,070 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 0–8%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($8,070 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (1-3 months in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for bus drivers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +4.1%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 166,400; 173,300 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 21,100; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 1.7%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects jobs for transit and intercity bus drivers to grow 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, from 166,400 to 173,300, a bit faster than the 3.5% average. About 21,100 openings are expected each year, most from drivers retiring or leaving.

BLS expects transit agencies redesigning bus networks, expanding service and adding bus rapid transit to drive demand, along with low-cost intercity travel and rural services for older adults and people with disabilities. School bus driving, a separate occupation, is expected to grow more slowly because student enrollment is projected to decline.

Related careers and their pay

Train Conductor$78,000
Truck Driver$58,640
Flight Attendant$63,580
Air Traffic Controller$148,080
Taxi Drivers$42,100

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Bus Driver salary FAQ

How much do bus drivers make an hour?

The median hourly wage for bus drivers was $28.39 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $19.25 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $40.72. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays bus drivers the most?

New York has the highest median pay for bus drivers, $84,480 a year, followed by Washington ($72,280) and Hawaii ($68,500). After adjusting for each state's price level, New York comes out ahead at about $78,279 in national-average dollars.

Do bus drivers make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of bus drivers earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $59,050, and the top 10% earn more than $84,700. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What license do you need to drive a bus?

You need a commercial driver's license (CDL) for any vehicle designed to carry 16 or more people including the driver, plus a passenger (P) endorsement. School bus drivers also need a school bus (S) endorsement. A bus with a gross weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more calls for a Class B CDL; a smaller vehicle designed for 16 or more people may need only a Class C.

Is driving a city bus stressful?

It can be. Drivers work through heavy traffic and bad weather while keeping to a schedule, and handle fare disputes and unruly riders. Traffic and difficult passengers are the stress points BLS highlights for this job. The job is also physically risky: BLS ranks the injury and illness rate for transit and intercity drivers among the worst of any occupation, with vehicle crashes the main cause.

Do bus drivers get drug tested?

Yes. Federal rules require CDL drivers to pass a drug test before they first perform safety-sensitive work such as driving for an employer, and drivers face random drug and alcohol testing after hire. School bus and transit drivers are covered by these rules or equivalent state and transit-specific programs. A failed or refused test removes a driver from service.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 53-3052
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (53-3052.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Bus Drivers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 380.609, General entry-level driver training requirements, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 383.25, Commercial learner's permit, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 391.11, General qualifications of drivers, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 391.45, Persons who must be medically examined and certified, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 383.117, Requirements for passenger endorsement, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 383.123, Requirements for a school bus endorsement, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 383.91, Commercial motor vehicle groups, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 382.301, Pre-employment testing, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 395.5, Maximum driving time for passenger-carrying vehicles, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 383.71, Driver application and certification procedures, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
Appendix C to Part 380, Passenger (P) endorsement training curriculum, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FMCSA) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR Part 242, Qualification and Certification of Conductors, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (FRA) · checked October 28, 2026

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