SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 53-3051.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $29,240 | $2,437 | $562 | $14.06 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $38,650 | $3,221 | $743 | $18.58 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $47,920 | $3,993 | $922 | $23.04 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $58,430 | $4,869 | $1,124 | $28.09 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $65,730 | $5,478 | $1,264 | $31.60 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Bus Drivers, School is $47,920, which is 6% lower. Among the 50 occupations of the field Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks number 30 by median pay. With 402,930 jobs, it makes up about 26 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Bus Drivers, School pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($65,170), Washington ($63,370) and Connecticut ($61,520). The lowest was in Alabama ($17,630), Puerto Rico ($27,950) and Louisiana ($29,450). The most jobs were in New York (38,320), Texas (37,550) and Pennsylvania (23,670). The occupation is most concentrated in West Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 2.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 9,330 | $65,170 | $61,210 | $31.33 |
| Washington | 9,660 | $63,370 | $62,940 | $30.47 |
| Connecticut | 7,970 | $61,520 | $56,240 | $29.58 |
| California | 16,600 | $61,040 | $60,520 | $29.35 |
| New Jersey | 13,670 | $59,430 | $58,470 | $28.57 |
| Hawaii | 630 | $59,090 | $57,920 | $28.41 |
| Rhode Island | 1,800 | $58,700 | $56,620 | $28.22 |
| New York | 38,320 | $56,640 | $57,140 | $27.23 |
| Vermont | 860 | $56,580 | $52,470 | $27.20 |
| Maryland | 9,020 | $56,450 | $54,000 | $27.14 |
| District of Columbia | 510 | $55,450 | $54,630 | $26.66 |
| Alaska | 790 | $54,200 | $51,820 | $26.06 |
| Utah | 1,920 | $52,890 | $53,430 | $25.43 |
| Colorado | 3,840 | $52,620 | $54,770 | $25.30 |
| Oregon | 5,210 | $51,270 | $55,260 | $24.65 |
| New Hampshire | 2,040 | $50,990 | $50,750 | $24.52 |
| North Dakota | 1,530 | $50,790 | $56,990 | $24.42 |
| Virginia | 12,930 | $50,190 | $53,390 | $24.13 |
| Illinois | 21,230 | $49,090 | $51,410 | $23.60 |
| Minnesota | 13,110 | $48,940 | $49,310 | $23.53 |
| Maine | 1,670 | $48,640 | $48,690 | $23.38 |
| Indiana | 11,780 | $48,020 | $46,460 | $23.09 |
| Nebraska | 2,330 | $47,760 | $48,920 | $22.96 |
| Wisconsin | 7,840 | $47,760 | $51,040 | $22.96 |
| Pennsylvania | 23,670 | $47,530 | $48,170 | $22.85 |
| Missouri | 8,970 | $46,880 | $47,020 | $22.54 |
| Michigan | 8,780 | $46,380 | $46,100 | $22.30 |
| Iowa | 4,840 | $46,320 | $47,980 | $22.27 |
| Idaho | 2,960 | $46,250 | $45,730 | $22.24 |
| Montana | 1,630 | $46,220 | $46,780 | $22.22 |
| Arizona | 5,020 | $46,050 | $45,390 | $22.14 |
| Kansas | 4,830 | $45,860 | $45,350 | $22.05 |
| Ohio | 5,540 | $45,860 | $45,500 | $22.05 |
| Wyoming | 1,360 | $45,520 | $45,970 | $21.89 |
| Arkansas | 4,340 | $45,500 | $44,410 | $21.87 |
| New Mexico | 1,870 | $45,470 | $46,790 | $21.86 |
| Georgia | 16,880 | $44,950 | $41,410 | $21.61 |
| Kentucky | 6,820 | $44,830 | $46,600 | $21.55 |
| Florida | 13,470 | $44,690 | $44,120 | $21.48 |
| Tennessee | 7,050 | $44,510 | $43,400 | $21.40 |
| Texas | 37,550 | $44,490 | $43,540 | $21.39 |
| Delaware | 1,350 | $42,390 | $45,180 | $20.38 |
| Guam | 110 | $41,720 | $40,930 | $20.06 |
| Virgin Islands | 50 | $40,120 | $45,830 | $19.29 |
| South Carolina | 5,900 | $39,900 | $39,640 | $19.18 |
| South Dakota | 1,290 | $39,730 | $41,380 | $19.10 |
| North Carolina | 12,390 | $37,460 | $39,250 | $18.01 |
| Nevada | 2,590 | $37,280 | $41,440 | $17.93 |
| Oklahoma | 3,710 | $36,920 | $36,840 | $17.75 |
| West Virginia | 4,690 | $33,360 | $33,390 | $16.04 |
| Mississippi | 3,790 | $30,640 | $32,770 | $14.73 |
| Louisiana | 6,670 | $29,450 | $34,270 | $14.16 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,280 | $27,950 | $32,180 | $13.44 |
| Alabama | 10,410 | $17,630 | $19,190 | $8.48 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Sailors and Marine Oilers$51,520 a year
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors$49,690 a year
- Dredge Operators$49,640 a year
- Motorboat Operators$47,520 a year
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420 a year
- Transportation Workers, All Other$45,650 a year
Common questions
How much do Bus Drivers, School earn in the United States?
The median pay was $47,920 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,240 and the highest-paid 10% more than $65,730.
How many people work as Bus Drivers, School?
About 402,930 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.