Bus Driver
Bus Driver Salary
$17.5K - $21.5K
1% of jobs
$21.5K - $25.5K
2% of jobs
$25.5K - $29.5K
4% of jobs
$29.5K - $33.5K
13% of jobs
$34.8K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$33.5K - $37.5K
17% of jobs
The median wage is $40.8K / yr.
$37.5K - $41.5K
16% of jobs
$41.5K - $45.5K
19% of jobs
$46.6K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$45.5K - $49.5K
12% of jobs
$49.5K - $53.5K
9% of jobs
$53.5K - $57.5K
4% of jobs
$57.5K - $61.5K
3% of jobs
$17.5K
$40K
$60K
$41,198
/year
$19.81
/hour
Bus Driver Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$41,198
Columbus
Ohio
$39,793
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How much does a Bus Driver make?
As of Jul 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Bus Driver in the United States is $41,198 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.81 an hour. This is the equivalent of $792/week or $3,433/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $60,000 and as low as $17,500, the majority of Bus Driver salaries currently range between $34,000 (25th percentile) to $46,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $54,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Bus Driver varies greatly (by as much as 12500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Bus Driver in your area makes on average $39,793 per year, or $1,405 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $41,198. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Bus Driver salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Bus Driver jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Bus Driver on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Bus Driver Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Bus Driver job is above the national average. Topping the list is Soledad, CA, , with Burke Hollow, VT, and Glen Head, NY, close behind in the second and third positions. Glen Head, NY, beats the national average by $16,701 (40.5%), and Soledad, CA, furthers that trend with another $20,430 (49.6%) above the $41,198 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Bus Driver appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 11% between Soledad, CA, and Helendale, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Bus Driver role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Soledad, CA | $61,628 | $29.63 |
Burke Hollow, VT | $60,640 | $29.15 |
Glen Head, NY | $57,899 | $27.84 |
East Norwich, NY | $57,713 | $27.75 |
Colfax, ND | $57,158 | $27.48 |
Cold Spring Harbor, NY | $56,041 | $26.94 |
Franconia, NH | $55,560 | $26.71 |
Tewksbury, MA | $55,548 | $26.71 |
Orford, NH | $55,086 | $26.48 |
Helendale, CA | $54,994 | $26.44 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Bus Driver Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Bus Driver category.
For example Bus Manager jobs pay as much as $65,441 (158.8%) more than the average Bus Driver salary of $41,198. If you're qualified, finding work as a Bus Manager may help you make more money than that of the average Bus Driver position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Bus Manager | $106,639 | $51.27 |
Dot Drug Testing | $96,145 | $46.22 |
School Bus Dispatcher | $44,334 | $21.31 |
Bus Assistant | $35,384 | $17.01 |
School Bus Monitor | $32,233 | $15.50 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
