Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for bus drivers, transit and intercitys 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 $60,280 ≈ $29/hr
National median salary $59,050
Total employment 159,240 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.3%
Faster than average
Annual openings 20,900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 158,800 → 165,600 (+6,800)
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
- New York$74,560
- Washington$73,650
- Massachusetts$70,760
- Nevada$68,100
- Maryland$67,990
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$38,760
- Alabama$39,700
- Arkansas$40,050
- Kansas$41,080
- West Virginia$41,520
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $74,560 | $84,480 | $36 | +23.7% | 16,770 |
| 2 | Washington | $73,650 | $72,280 | $35 | +22.2% | 6,960 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $70,760 | $65,460 | $34 | +17.4% | 3,970 |
| 4 | Nevada | $68,100 | $61,700 | $33 | +13% | 2,540 |
| 5 | Maryland | $67,990 | $65,220 | $33 | +12.8% | 4,890 |
| 6 | Illinois | $67,480 | $65,200 | $32 | +11.9% | 8,650 |
| 7 | California | $66,930 | $67,130 | $32 | +11% | 24,380 |
| 8 | Oregon | $66,860 | $65,510 | $32 | +10.9% | 2,620 |
| 9 | Alaska | $65,100 | $64,150 | $31 | +8% | 250 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $62,170 | $68,500 | $30 | +3.1% | 2,190 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $62,050 | $61,140 | $30 | +2.9% | 6,420 |
| 12 | Colorado | $61,830 | $63,010 | $30 | +2.6% | 3,540 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $59,550 | $60,100 | $29 | -1.2% | 1,830 |
| 14 | Ohio | $58,310 | $62,760 | $28 | -3.3% | 4,000 |
| 15 | Delaware | $55,980 | $60,510 | $27 | -7.1% | 380 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $55,890 | $55,580 | $27 | -7.3% | 150 |
| 17 | Indiana | $55,720 | $58,410 | $27 | -7.6% | 2,130 |
| 18 | Maine | $55,450 | $57,870 | $27 | -8% | 470 |
| 19 | Vermont | $55,210 | $53,830 | $27 | -8.4% | 440 |
| 20 | Arizona | $55,180 | $53,870 | $27 | -8.5% | 3,240 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $54,980 | $54,830 | $26 | -8.8% | 300 |
| 22 | Missouri | $54,810 | $60,660 | $26 | -9.1% | 1,860 |
| 23 | Virginia | $54,520 | $52,940 | $26 | -9.6% | 3,800 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $54,260 | $51,360 | $26 | -10% | 4,710 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $53,420 | $52,660 | $26 | -11.4% | 2,220 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $53,210 | $50,200 | $26 | -11.7% | 2,610 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $52,050 | $48,610 | $25 | -13.7% | 70 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $51,770 | $47,770 | $25 | -14.1% | 1,970 |
| 29 | Florida | $51,700 | $48,300 | $25 | -14.2% | 9,130 |
| 30 | Utah | $51,590 | $50,730 | $25 | -14.4% | 1,230 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $51,050 | $50,300 | $25 | -15.3% | 1,760 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $51,050 | $45,630 | $25 | -15.3% | 130 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $49,790 | $54,550 | $24 | -17.4% | 2,570 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $49,700 | $48,890 | $24 | -17.6% | 250 |
| 35 | Idaho | $49,420 | $49,000 | $24 | -18% | 520 |
| 36 | Michigan | $49,340 | $47,660 | $24 | -18.1% | 3,620 |
| 37 | Texas | $49,040 | $48,740 | $24 | -18.6% | 11,600 |
| 38 | Georgia | $48,850 | $45,500 | $23 | -19% | 3,700 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $47,740 | $48,860 | $23 | -20.8% | 1,490 |
| 40 | Montana | $46,760 | $45,640 | $22 | -22.4% | 450 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $46,420 | $45,120 | $22 | -23% | 460 |
| 42 | Iowa | $46,150 | $45,890 | $22 | -23.4% | 1,560 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $44,670 | $44,060 | $21 | -25.9% | 2,900 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $42,900 | $45,610 | $21 | -28.8% | 580 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $41,720 | $41,590 | $20 | -30.8% | 410 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $41,650 | $43,330 | $20 | -30.9% | 630 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $41,520 | $39,260 | $20 | -31.1% | 520 |
| 48 | Kansas | $41,080 | $41,340 | $20 | -31.9% | 430 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $40,050 | $37,520 | $19 | -33.6% | 570 |
| 50 | Alabama | $39,700 | $37,700 | $19 | -34.1% | 960 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $38,760 | $38,570 | $19 | -35.7% | 400 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 242 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $90,460 | $70,100 | 2,180 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $83,430 | $79,800 | 4,430 |
| 3 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $80,170 | $71,070 | 2,130 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $78,900 | $76,190 | 5,540 |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $78,130 | $73,350 | 19,770 |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | $73,790 | $65,090 | 700 |
| 7 | Salinas, CA | $71,290 | $69,690 | 180 |
| 8 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $70,700 | $64,390 | 300 |
| 9 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $70,680 | $59,880 | 810 |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $70,120 | $73,820 | 3,270 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing bus drivers, transit and intercitys (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Performing Arts Companies | $91,050 | $85,880 | — |
| 2 | Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $78,220 | $76,070 | 90 |
| 3 | Spectator Sports | $74,160 | $65,060 | 40 |
| 4 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $70,700 | $70,700 | 7,810 |
| 5 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $70,700 | $69,420 | 8,220 |
| 6 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $64,640 | $64,980 | 95,340 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $64,640 | $64,830 | 96,090 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $64,640 | $64,980 | 95,340 |
| 9 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $64,590 | $64,460 | 87,530 |
| 10 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $64,590 | $64,410 | 87,870 |
| 11 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $59,050 | $60,280 | 159,240 |
| 12 | Urban Transit Systems | $57,820 | $57,850 | 27,240 |
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, transit and intercity make in the U.S.?
The median bus drivers, transit and intercity salary in the United States is $59,050 per year (mean $60,280), and about 80% earn between $40,030 and $84,700.
How much do bus drivers, transit and intercity make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $60,280 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays bus drivers, transit and intercity the most?
New York has the highest average pay for bus drivers, transit and intercity at $74,560 per year (median $84,480).
What is the job outlook for bus drivers, transit and intercity?
Employment is projected to change +4.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 20,900 openings per year.