Average Bus Driver Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Bus Driver salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Bus Driver Make in United States?

A Bus Driver working in United States will typically earn around 29,600 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 14,200 USD to the highest average salary of 48,200 USD.

Average Annual Salary
29,600 USD
Average Monthly Salary
2,466 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
14,200 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,183 USD

Highest Annual Salary
48,200 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
4,016 USD

These are average salaries for a Bus Driver in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Bus Driver to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Bus Driver salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Bus Driver Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Bus Driver will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Bus Driver can earn between 14,200 USD and 48,200 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Bus Driver in United States is 31,200 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 31,200 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 31,200 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Bus Driver salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 21,100 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 21,100 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 38,100 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 38,100 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Bus Driver Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average bus driver salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Bus Driver in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 15,700 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Bus Driver salary would increase to 23,700 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Bus Driver, the average salary would be 30,200 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 36,500 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Bus Driver with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 42,400 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Bus Driver with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 45,600 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
15,700 USD
2-5 Years +31%
23,700 USD
5-10 Years +40%
30,200 USD
10-15 Years +20%
36,500 USD
15-20 Years +9%
42,400 USD
20+ Years +8%
45,600 USD

Bus Driver Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Bus Driver in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Bus Driver in United States with a high school education can earn an average salary of 18,200 USD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Bus Driver in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 30,800 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Bus Driver in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 43,100 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
18,200 USD
Certificate or Diploma +47%
30,800 USD
Bachelor's Degree +53%
43,100 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Bus Driver Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male bus driver will earn an average of 29,600 USD, while a female bus driver will earn around 29,300 USD.

This means that a male bus driver earns approximately 1% more than a female bus driver for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
29,600 USD
Female -1%
29,300 USD

Bus Driver Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Bus Driver in United States is around 7% every 18 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 7 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 5%

What this means is that a Bus Driver in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 5% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Bus Driver Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Bus Driver is a low bonus based job, with 29% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

71% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3%.

Received Bonus
29%
No Bonus
71%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Bus Driver

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Bus Driver in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Car Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 27,700 USD
CDL Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 36,600 USD
CDL Truck Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 33,300 USD
Chauffeur Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 36,700 USD
Courier Coordinator Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 47,800 USD
Courier Sales Manager Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 73,100 USD
Deck Officer Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 33,200 USD
Delivery Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 26,900 USD
Delivery Specialist Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 33,800 USD
Delivery Supervisor Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 44,300 USD
Dispatcher Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 26,200 USD
Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 26,400 USD
Driving Instructor Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 39,500 USD
Goods Receiving Expediter Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 30,700 USD
Limousine Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 39,500 USD
Parking Inspector Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 36,800 USD
School Bus Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 33,200 USD
Shuttle Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 29,600 USD
Taxi Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 29,100 USD
Third Officer Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 29,300 USD
Train Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 33,300 USD
Tram Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 28,900 USD
Transport Officer Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 30,700 USD
Transportation and Shipping Supervisor Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 42,800 USD
Transportation Manager Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 114,900 USD
Truck Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 29,200 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 27,200 USD
Austin 30,300 USD
Baltimore 27,700 USD
Boston 30,600 USD
Bristol 23,300 USD
Chicago 35,000 USD
Cincinnati 26,500 USD
Cleveland 26,400 USD
Dallas 34,300 USD
Denver 33,600 USD
Detroit 30,700 USD
Honolulu 23,600 USD
Houston 34,400 USD
Indianapolis 32,200 USD
Iowa City 24,200 USD
Jacksonville 35,400 USD
Kansas City 27,700 USD
Kent 22,400 USD
Las Vegas 29,300 USD
Long Beach 29,600 USD
Los Angeles 36,400 USD
Memphis 30,800 USD
Miami 27,300 USD
Minneapolis 27,200 USD
New Orleans 24,800 USD
New York 35,400 USD
Oakland 29,900 USD
Oklahoma City 29,200 USD
Orlando 27,300 USD
Philadelphia 35,300 USD
Phoenix 34,000 USD
Sacramento 29,900 USD
San Antonio 34,400 USD
San Diego 35,100 USD
San Francisco 34,000 USD
San Jose 31,700 USD
Seattle 32,200 USD
Tampa 27,800 USD
Vancouver 24,400 USD
Washington D.C. 31,800 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 30,300 USD
Alaska 27,400 USD
Arizona 34,000 USD
Arkansas 27,400 USD
California 35,400 USD
Colorado 30,600 USD
Connecticut 32,200 USD
Delaware 26,900 USD
District of Columbia 26,200 USD
Florida 33,000 USD
Georgia 30,200 USD
Hawaii 26,500 USD
Idaho 29,600 USD
Illinois 33,600 USD
Indiana 31,400 USD
Iowa 27,300 USD
Kansas 30,800 USD
Kentucky 31,800 USD
Louisiana 30,100 USD
Maine 27,400 USD
Maryland 31,700 USD
Massachusetts 32,900 USD
Michigan 32,200 USD
Minnesota 30,000 USD
Mississippi 31,200 USD
Missouri 33,600 USD
Montana 27,300 USD
Nebraska 29,900 USD
Nevada 30,800 USD
New Hampshire 30,800 USD
New Jersey 30,200 USD
New Mexico 27,400 USD
New York 33,000 USD
North Carolina 30,200 USD
North Dakota 25,800 USD
Ohio 32,600 USD
Oklahoma 32,900 USD
Oregon 28,900 USD
Pennsylvania 32,200 USD
Rhode Island 27,400 USD
South Carolina 32,200 USD
South Dakota 27,300 USD
Tennessee 30,600 USD
Texas 35,100 USD
Utah 29,100 USD
Vermont 27,400 USD
Virginia 32,600 USD
Washington 33,600 USD
West Virginia 30,800 USD
Wisconsin 29,600 USD
Wyoming 27,300 USD

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