Bus Operator Salary
$27K - $30.5K
3% of jobs
$30.5K - $34K
4% of jobs
$34K - $37.5K
6% of jobs
$40.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$37.5K - $41K
13% of jobs
$41K - $44.5K
13% of jobs
The median wage is $47.7K / yr.
$44.5K - $48K
11% of jobs
$48K - $51.5K
15% of jobs
$53.2K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$51.5K - $55K
18% of jobs
$55K - $58.5K
5% of jobs
$58.5K - $62K
4% of jobs
$62K - $65.5K
7% of jobs
$27K
$47K
$63K
$46,614
/year
$22.41
/hour
Bus Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$46,614
Columbus
Ohio
$45,024
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How much does a Bus Operator make?
As of Jul 20, 2026, the average annual pay for a Bus Operator in the United States is $46,614 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $22.41 an hour. This is the equivalent of $896/week or $3,884/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $63,000 and as low as $27,000, the majority of Bus Operator salaries currently range between $39,500 (25th percentile) to $51,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $60,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Bus Operator varies little (about 11500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
A Bus Operator in your area makes on average $45,024 per year, or $1,590 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $46,614. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Bus Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Bus Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Bus Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Bus Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Bus Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with Berlin Corners, VT, and Aspen, CO, close behind in the second and third positions. Aspen, CO, beats the national average by $9,729 (20.9%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $10,462 (22.4%) above the $46,614 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Bus Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Berkeley, CA, and San Jose, 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 Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Berkeley, CA | $57,076 | $27.44 |
Berlin Corners, VT | $56,972 | $27.39 |
Aspen, CO | $56,343 | $27.09 |
Sitka, AK | $56,155 | $27.00 |
Pennington County, SD | $55,346 | $26.61 |
San Francisco Bay Area, CA | $54,919 | $26.40 |
San Francisco, CA | $54,919 | $26.40 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $54,709 | $26.30 |
Livermore, CA | $54,678 | $26.29 |
San Jose, CA | $54,631 | $26.26 |
What are Top 0 Best Paying Related Bus Operator Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Bus Operator job category, we found that related job jobs have average salaries similar than Bus Operator jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
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About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
