Bus Drivers, School Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for bus drivers, schools across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $48,430 ≈ $23/hr
National median salary $47,920
Total employment 402,930 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +0.2%
Slower than average
Annual openings 61,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 387,300 → 388,200 (+900)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$62,940
- Massachusetts$61,210
- California$60,520
- New Jersey$58,470
- Hawaii$57,920
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$19,190
- Mississippi$32,770
- West Virginia$33,390
- Louisiana$34,270
- Oklahoma$36,840
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $62,940 | $63,370 | $30 | +30% | 9,660 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $61,210 | $65,170 | $29 | +26.4% | 9,330 |
| 3 | California | $60,520 | $61,040 | $29 | +25% | 16,600 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $58,470 | $59,430 | $28 | +20.7% | 13,670 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $57,920 | $59,090 | $28 | +19.6% | 630 |
| 6 | New York | $57,140 | $56,640 | $27 | +18% | 38,320 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $56,990 | $50,790 | $27 | +17.7% | 1,530 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $56,620 | $58,700 | $27 | +16.9% | 1,800 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $56,240 | $61,520 | $27 | +16.1% | 7,970 |
| 10 | Oregon | $55,260 | $51,270 | $27 | +14.1% | 5,210 |
| 11 | Colorado | $54,770 | $52,620 | $26 | +13.1% | 3,840 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $54,630 | $55,450 | $26 | +12.8% | 510 |
| 13 | Maryland | $54,000 | $56,450 | $26 | +11.5% | 9,020 |
| 14 | Utah | $53,430 | $52,890 | $26 | +10.3% | 1,920 |
| 15 | Virginia | $53,390 | $50,190 | $26 | +10.2% | 12,930 |
| 16 | Vermont | $52,470 | $56,580 | $25 | +8.3% | 860 |
| 17 | Alaska | $51,820 | $54,200 | $25 | +7% | 790 |
| 18 | Illinois | $51,410 | $49,090 | $25 | +6.2% | 21,230 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $51,040 | $47,760 | $25 | +5.4% | 7,840 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $50,750 | $50,990 | $24 | +4.8% | 2,040 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $49,310 | $48,940 | $24 | +1.8% | 13,110 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $48,920 | $47,760 | $24 | +1% | 2,330 |
| 23 | Maine | $48,690 | $48,640 | $23 | +0.5% | 1,670 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $48,170 | $47,530 | $23 | -0.5% | 23,670 |
| 25 | Iowa | $47,980 | $46,320 | $23 | -0.9% | 4,840 |
| 26 | Missouri | $47,020 | $46,880 | $23 | -2.9% | 8,970 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $46,790 | $45,470 | $23 | -3.4% | 1,870 |
| 28 | Montana | $46,780 | $46,220 | $22 | -3.4% | 1,630 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $46,600 | $44,830 | $22 | -3.8% | 6,820 |
| 30 | Indiana | $46,460 | $48,020 | $22 | -4.1% | 11,780 |
| 31 | Michigan | $46,100 | $46,380 | $22 | -4.8% | 8,780 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $45,970 | $45,520 | $22 | -5.1% | 1,360 |
| 33 | Idaho | $45,730 | $46,250 | $22 | -5.6% | 2,960 |
| 34 | Ohio | $45,500 | $45,860 | $22 | -6% | 5,540 |
| 35 | Arizona | $45,390 | $46,050 | $22 | -6.3% | 5,020 |
| 36 | Kansas | $45,350 | $45,860 | $22 | -6.4% | 4,830 |
| 37 | Delaware | $45,180 | $42,390 | $22 | -6.7% | 1,350 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $44,410 | $45,500 | $21 | -8.3% | 4,340 |
| 39 | Florida | $44,120 | $44,690 | $21 | -8.9% | 13,470 |
| 40 | Texas | $43,540 | $44,490 | $21 | -10.1% | 37,550 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $43,400 | $44,510 | $21 | -10.4% | 7,050 |
| 42 | Nevada | $41,440 | $37,280 | $20 | -14.4% | 2,590 |
| 43 | Georgia | $41,410 | $44,950 | $20 | -14.5% | 16,880 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,380 | $39,730 | $20 | -14.6% | 1,290 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $39,640 | $39,900 | $19 | -18.1% | 5,900 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $39,250 | $37,460 | $19 | -19% | 12,390 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $36,840 | $36,920 | $18 | -23.9% | 3,710 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $34,270 | $29,450 | $16 | -29.2% | 6,670 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $33,390 | $33,360 | $16 | -31.1% | 4,690 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $32,770 | $30,640 | $16 | -32.3% | 3,790 |
| 51 | Alabama | $19,190 | $17,630 | $9 | -60.4% | 10,410 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 484 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $75,230 | $70,900 | 610 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $73,680 | $69,190 | 2,350 |
| 3 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $72,070 | $68,110 | 200 |
| 4 | Bellingham, WA | $69,640 | $66,960 | 300 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | $67,430 | $68,150 | 70 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $66,880 | $65,770 | 330 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $66,380 | $67,350 | 4,070 |
| 8 | Springfield, MA | $65,730 | $62,010 | 770 |
| 9 | Worcester, MA | $65,640 | $59,320 | 1,270 |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $65,170 | $61,660 | 6,470 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing bus drivers, schools (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grantmaking and Giving Services | $65,980 | $57,360 | — |
| 2 | Administrative and Support Services | $55,450 | $52,780 | — |
| 3 | Employment Services | $55,450 | $52,850 | — |
| 4 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $55,450 | $52,660 | — |
| 5 | Urban Transit Systems | $55,070 | $64,820 | 60 |
| 6 | Charter Bus Industry | $53,010 | $52,590 | 770 |
| 7 | Educational Support Services | $50,490 | $48,170 | — |
| 8 | Educational Support Services, Local Government Owned | $50,490 | $49,970 | — |
| 9 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $50,180 | $51,710 | 50 |
| 10 | School and Employee Bus Transportation | $50,040 | $53,120 | 142,090 |
| 11 | Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation | $50,020 | $52,930 | 147,850 |
| 12 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $50,020 | $52,930 | 147,850 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do bus drivers, school make in the U.S.?
The median bus drivers, school salary in the United States is $47,920 per year (mean $48,430), and about 80% earn between $29,240 and $65,730.
How much do bus drivers, school make per hour?
Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $48,430 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays bus drivers, school the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for bus drivers, school at $62,940 per year (median $63,370).
What is the job outlook for bus drivers, school?
Employment is projected to change +0.2% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 61,000 openings per year.