Bus Drivers, School
Bus Drivers, School (SOC 53-3051) earn a median $47,920 a year ($23.04 an hour) in the United States, with 402,930 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Massachusetts.
What bus drivers, school do
School bus drivers carry students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities on gasoline, diesel, or electric buses. They follow fixed routes on strict time schedules, stopping at set points where children board and leave. Safety is the heart of the work: drivers watch students as they step on and off, make sure they cross streets only when it is safe, and follow traffic regulations to drive in a safe and courteous manner. Before each run they check tires, brakes, wipers, lights, fluids, and emergency equipment, and they report defects or needed repairs. On the bus they keep order among students during trips, and they may help children board or exit. They also prepare reports that can include the number of students or trips, hours worked, mileage, and fuel use.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Bus Drive Coordinator, Bus Driver, Bus Monitor, Campus Driver, CDL Bus Driver (Commercial Driver's License Bus Driver).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.06 | $18.58 | $23.04 | $28.09 | $31.60 | $23.28 | 402,930 |
| Annual | $29,240 | $38,650 | $47,920 | $58,430 | $65,730 | $48,430 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where bus drivers, school earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $21.41 | $26.34 | $31.33 | $33.33 | $34.61 | $29.43 | 9,330 | 2.57 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $44,530 | $54,780 | $65,170 | $69,320 | $71,980 | $61,210 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $23.88 | $27.23 | $30.47 | $34.08 | $36.31 | $30.26 | 9,660 | 2.72 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $49,670 | $56,640 | $63,370 | $70,890 | $75,530 | $62,940 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $22.04 | $22.83 | $29.58 | $30.34 | $31.29 | $27.04 | 7,970 | 4.70 | 1.81 |
| Annual | $45,830 | $47,490 | $61,520 | $63,110 | $65,090 | $56,240 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $22.05 | $24.57 | $29.35 | $33.93 | $35.43 | $29.10 | 16,600 | 0.91 | 0.35 |
| Annual | $45,870 | $51,110 | $61,040 | $70,570 | $73,680 | $60,520 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $22.42 | $24.60 | $28.57 | $31.36 | $34.38 | $28.11 | 13,670 | 3.19 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $46,640 | $51,160 | $59,430 | $65,240 | $71,520 | $58,470 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.25 | $23.71 | $27.23 | $30.07 | $36.57 | $27.47 | 38,320 | 3.96 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $46,270 | $49,320 | $56,640 | $62,550 | $76,070 | $57,140 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.39 | $15.06 | $21.39 | $23.57 | $29.20 | $20.93 | 37,550 | 2.67 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $23,690 | $31,330 | $44,490 | $49,030 | $60,740 | $43,540 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $16.80 | $19.05 | $22.85 | $26.75 | $29.16 | $23.16 | 23,670 | 3.90 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $34,950 | $39,630 | $47,530 | $55,630 | $60,660 | $48,170 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.42 | $22.34 | $23.60 | $28.42 | $30.08 | $24.72 | 21,230 | 3.48 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $38,310 | $46,470 | $49,090 | $59,110 | $62,560 | $51,410 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $9.97 | $13.26 | $21.61 | $24.28 | $29.84 | $19.91 | 16,880 | 3.45 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $20,740 | $27,570 | $44,950 | $50,490 | $62,060 | $41,410 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $27.60 | $29.78 | $36.17 | $37.18 | $40.65 | $34.09 | 610 | 0.54 | 0.21 |
| Annual | $57,420 | $61,930 | $75,230 | $77,330 | $84,550 | $70,900 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $27.27 | $28.28 | $35.43 | $36.45 | $38.87 | $33.26 | 2,350 | 0.99 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $56,710 | $58,820 | $73,680 | $75,820 | $80,840 | $69,190 | ||||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | Hourly | $28.08 | $29.71 | $34.65 | $36.20 | $36.57 | $32.74 | 200 | 3.76 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $58,400 | $61,800 | $72,070 | $75,290 | $76,060 | $68,110 | ||||
| Bellingham, WA | Hourly | $27.95 | $30.61 | $33.48 | $34.52 | $34.52 | $32.19 | 300 | 3.23 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $58,130 | $63,660 | $69,640 | $71,810 | $71,810 | $66,960 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $29.02 | $29.02 | $32.42 | $35.18 | $37.92 | $32.76 | 70 | 0.84 | 0.32 |
| Annual | $60,370 | $60,370 | $67,430 | $73,180 | $78,880 | $68,150 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $22.89 | $24.84 | $28.75 | $31.82 | $37.29 | $28.90 | 29,280 | 3.09 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $47,620 | $51,660 | $59,790 | $66,180 | $77,550 | $60,110 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.44 | $22.86 | $23.64 | $28.81 | $30.10 | $25.12 | 15,210 | 3.37 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $38,360 | $47,560 | $49,180 | $59,930 | $62,600 | $52,260 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $10.75 | $14.28 | $22.75 | $24.28 | $29.84 | $21.14 | 11,190 | 3.87 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $22,350 | $29,690 | $47,310 | $50,490 | $62,060 | $43,970 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $12.76 | $14.97 | $20.95 | $23.63 | $29.46 | $21.00 | 9,730 | 2.96 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $26,550 | $31,140 | $43,570 | $49,150 | $61,280 | $43,680 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.06 | $17.27 | $22.61 | $23.85 | $29.20 | $22.00 | 9,030 | 2.23 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $27,160 | $35,920 | $47,030 | $49,620 | $60,740 | $45,760 | ||||
Top industries employing bus drivers, school
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 49.9% of bus drivers, school nationally (201,090 jobs) at a median $45,860 a year ($22.05 an hour), followed by School and Employee Bus Transportation (35.3%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (10.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 201,090 | 49.9% | $45,860 | $22.05 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation NAICS 485400 | 142,090 | 35.3% | $50,040 | $24.06 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 42,910 | 10.6% | $48,980 | $23.55 |
| Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation NAICS 485900 | 4,260 | 1.1% | $47,620 | $22.89 |
| Child Care Services NAICS 624400 | 3,650 | 0.9% | $41,160 | $19.79 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (402,930). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,910 for bus drivers, school in May 2021 and $47,920 in May 2025, with employment of 361,420 and 402,930.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,910 | $18.23 | 361,420 |
| May 2022 | $41,270 | $19.84 | 366,550 |
| May 2023 | $45,660 | $21.95 | 371,530 |
| May 2024 | $47,040 | $22.62 | 387,920 |
| May 2025 | $47,920 | $23.04 | 402,930 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts profile | $31.33 | $65,170 | $44,530 | $71,980 | 9,330 | 2.57 | 0.99 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $30.47 | $63,370 | $49,670 | $75,530 | 9,660 | 2.72 | 1.05 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | $29.58 | $61,520 | $45,830 | $65,090 | 7,970 | 4.70 | 1.81 |
| 4 | California profile | $29.35 | $61,040 | $45,870 | $73,680 | 16,600 | 0.91 | 0.35 |
| 5 | New Jersey profile | $28.57 | $59,430 | $46,640 | $71,520 | 13,670 | 3.19 | 1.23 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $28.41 | $59,090 | $45,760 | $73,970 | 630 | 1.00 | 0.39 |
| 7 | Rhode Island profile | $28.22 | $58,700 | $47,780 | $67,180 | 1,800 | 3.58 | 1.38 |
| 8 | New York profile | $27.23 | $56,640 | $46,270 | $76,070 | 38,320 | 3.96 | 1.53 |
| 9 | Vermont profile | $27.20 | $56,580 | $39,840 | $61,970 | 860 | 2.81 | 1.09 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $27.14 | $56,450 | $38,280 | $63,950 | 9,020 | 3.26 | 1.26 |
| 11 | District of Columbia profile | $26.66 | $55,450 | $51,850 | $55,480 | 510 | 0.73 | 0.28 |
| 12 | Alaska profile | $26.06 | $54,200 | $36,470 | $59,910 | 790 | 2.42 | 0.93 |
| 13 | Utah profile | $25.43 | $52,890 | $37,010 | $69,110 | 1,920 | 1.11 | 0.43 |
| 14 | Colorado profile | $25.30 | $52,620 | $40,640 | $70,540 | 3,840 | 1.34 | 0.52 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $24.65 | $51,270 | $45,830 | $67,260 | 5,210 | 2.65 | 1.02 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $24.52 | $50,990 | $36,030 | $60,650 | 2,040 | 2.99 | 1.15 |
| 17 | North Dakota profile | $24.42 | $50,790 | $43,780 | $81,220 | 1,530 | 3.57 | 1.38 |
| 18 | Virginia profile | $24.13 | $50,190 | $38,830 | $67,060 | 12,930 | 3.15 | 1.21 |
| 19 | Illinois profile | $23.60 | $49,090 | $38,310 | $62,560 | 21,230 | 3.48 | 1.34 |
| 20 | Minnesota profile | $23.53 | $48,940 | $36,580 | $62,170 | 13,110 | 4.45 | 1.72 |
| 21 | Maine profile | $23.38 | $48,640 | $39,050 | $58,590 | 1,670 | 2.60 | 1.00 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $23.09 | $48,020 | $22,900 | $65,240 | 11,780 | 3.68 | 1.42 |
| 23 | Nebraska profile | $22.96 | $47,760 | $36,800 | $58,340 | 2,330 | 2.27 | 0.88 |
| 24 | Wisconsin profile | $22.96 | $47,760 | $38,930 | $62,780 | 7,840 | 2.66 | 1.03 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.85 | $47,530 | $34,950 | $60,660 | 23,670 | 3.90 | 1.51 |
| 26 | Missouri profile | $22.54 | $46,880 | $33,980 | $58,730 | 8,970 | 3.05 | 1.18 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $22.30 | $46,380 | $37,860 | $54,500 | 8,780 | 1.99 | 0.77 |
| 28 | Iowa profile | $22.27 | $46,320 | $28,440 | $63,200 | 4,840 | 3.11 | 1.20 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $22.24 | $46,250 | $36,380 | $56,410 | 2,960 | 3.45 | 1.33 |
| 30 | Montana profile | $22.22 | $46,220 | $36,120 | $57,870 | 1,630 | 3.19 | 1.23 |
| 31 | Arizona profile | $22.14 | $46,050 | $37,370 | $52,870 | 5,020 | 1.55 | 0.60 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $22.05 | $45,860 | $33,570 | $55,810 | 4,830 | 3.36 | 1.30 |
| 33 | Ohio profile | $22.05 | $45,860 | $30,100 | $60,070 | 5,540 | 1.00 | 0.39 |
| 34 | Wyoming profile | $21.89 | $45,520 | $38,830 | $56,130 | 1,360 | 4.85 | 1.87 |
| 35 | Arkansas profile | $21.87 | $45,500 | $24,080 | $63,300 | 4,340 | 3.33 | 1.28 |
| 36 | New Mexico profile | $21.86 | $45,470 | $31,020 | $65,140 | 1,870 | 2.14 | 0.83 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $21.61 | $44,950 | $20,740 | $62,060 | 16,880 | 3.45 | 1.33 |
| 38 | Kentucky profile | $21.55 | $44,830 | $36,760 | $63,470 | 6,820 | 3.41 | 1.31 |
| 39 | Florida profile | $21.48 | $44,690 | $35,510 | $54,840 | 13,470 | 1.36 | 0.52 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $21.40 | $44,510 | $22,900 | $61,600 | 7,050 | 2.15 | 0.83 |
| 41 | Texas profile | $21.39 | $44,490 | $23,690 | $60,740 | 37,550 | 2.67 | 1.03 |
| 42 | Delaware profile | $20.38 | $42,390 | $36,380 | $60,910 | 1,350 | 2.79 | 1.08 |
| 43 | South Carolina profile | $19.18 | $39,900 | $23,640 | $57,150 | 5,900 | 2.56 | 0.99 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | $19.10 | $39,730 | $33,480 | $50,530 | 1,290 | 2.83 | 1.09 |
| 45 | North Carolina profile | $18.01 | $37,460 | $32,270 | $46,960 | 12,390 | 2.51 | 0.97 |
| 46 | Nevada profile | $17.93 | $37,280 | $37,280 | $50,310 | 2,590 | 1.67 | 0.65 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $17.75 | $36,920 | $20,850 | $48,110 | 3,710 | 2.17 | 0.84 |
| 48 | West Virginia profile | $16.04 | $33,360 | $29,610 | $36,670 | 4,690 | 6.69 | 2.58 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $14.73 | $30,640 | $18,680 | $47,300 | 3,790 | 3.26 | 1.26 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $14.16 | $29,450 | $21,000 | $50,750 | 6,670 | 3.45 | 1.33 |
| 51 | Alabama profile | $8.48 | $17,630 | $16,560 | $21,580 | 10,410 | 4.93 | 1.90 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (53-3050), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-3051 Bus Drivers, School.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-3051, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-3051.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.