The average wage for a bus driver in the United States is around $20.23 per hour.
Avg Wage
Bus drivers earn an average hourly wage of $20.23.
Salaries typically start from $12.28 per hour and go up to $33.32 per hour.
31% below national average Updated in 2018
Bus driver earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$33.32 per hour
$69,304 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$26.31 per hour
$54,717 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$20.23 per hour
$42,080 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$15.56 per hour
$32,362 per year
10th percentile
Starting level bus driver earnings begin at:
$12.28 per hour
$25,550 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Bus driver salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $67,040 |
| Washington | $58,980 |
| Alaska | $55,590 |
| Massachusetts | $51,680 |
| Oregon | $50,870 |
| California | $50,760 |
| Connecticut | $50,550 |
| New Jersey | $49,670 |
| Illinois | $48,552 |
| Wisconsin | $47,790 |
| Hawaii | $44,050 |
| New Hampshire | $41,870 |
| Vermont | $41,250 |
| Virginia | $40,930 |
| Nebraska | $40,440 |
| Delaware | $39,600 |
| Texas | $39,030 |
| Minnesota | $38,920 |
| Colorado | $38,560 |
| Ohio | $38,380 |
| Maryland | $38,340 |
| Rhode Island | $37,610 |
| Maine | $37,160 |
| Missouri | $37,070 |
| District of Columbia | $37,040 |
| Nevada | $36,370 |
| Montana | $36,300 |
| Wyoming | $36,270 |
| North Dakota | $36,170 |
| Tennessee | $36,020 |
| Utah | $35,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,801 |
| Arizona | $35,739 |
| Louisiana | $35,260 |
| Iowa | $34,380 |
| Kentucky | $33,910 |
| South Carolina | $33,880 |
| West Virginia | $33,720 |
| Michigan | $33,620 |
| Indiana | $33,011 |
| South Dakota | $32,830 |
| Kansas | $31,230 |
| Florida | $30,550 |
| Idaho | $30,280 |
| North Carolina | $29,710 |
| New Mexico | $28,790 |
| Mississippi | $28,680 |
| Arkansas | $28,259 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,990 |
| Georgia | $27,760 |
| Alabama | $27,160 |
| Oklahoma | $26,110 |
| Guam | $19,750 |
How do bus driver salaries compare to similar careers?
Bus drivers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than rail transportation workers but more than ship loaders.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Rail transportation worker salary | $53K |
| Commercial fisherman salary | $37K |
| Traffic technician salary | $47K |
| Cargo and freight agent salary | $43K |
| Air crew member salary | $36K |
| Bus driver salary | $42K |
| Truck driver salary | $43K |
| Sailor salary | $41K |
| Travel agent salary | $39K |
| Ship loader salary | $38K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)