How much does a Bus Driver make?

Updated Dec 4, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$38K - $62K/yr
Base Pay
$37K - $59K/yr
Additional Pay
$2K - $3K/yr

$48K

/yr
$38K$62K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Bus Driver is $48,482 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $46,408 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $2,074 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $38K-$62K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Bus Driver

$48,482 /yr
Bus Driver
No Salary Reports
Bus Driver III
$52,173 /yr
Assistant Head Bus Driver
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Bus Driver?

Job TitleSalary
Bus Driver$48,482 /yr
Bus Driver III
Assistant Head Bus Driver$52,173 /yr

Related Job Titles

For Bus Driver

Some related job titles are City Bus Driver Salaries with median pay of $58,059, County Bus Driver Salaries with median pay of $57,288, District School Bus Driver Salaries with median pay of $65,091, Bus Operator Salaries with median pay of $51,302.

Top Paying Companies

For a Bus Driver in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Bus Driver in United States. Employers include Jefferson Lines, Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Unitrans.

1
Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines
$52,997/yr
15 open jobs
3
Unitrans
$52,403/yr
See pay for all companies for a Bus Driver in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Bus Driver in United States

1Jefferson Lines$52,997
2Metropolitan Transportation Authority$52,990
3Unitrans$52,403
4Orange County Transportation Authority$52,365
5Roaring Fork Transportation Authority$52,210
6Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority$51,266
7American Explorer Motorcoach$51,236
8Coach USA$51,224
9NJ TRANSIT$51,182
10Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority$50,773
Total Pay Trajectory

For Bus Driver

$48,482 /yr
Bus Driver
No Salary Reports
Bus Driver III
$52,173 /yr
Assistant Head Bus Driver
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Bus Driver?

Job TitleSalary
Bus Driver$48,482 /yr
Bus Driver III
Assistant Head Bus Driver$52,173 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Bus Driver at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
First Student
3.9
Bus DriverSee 662 salaries from this location

$45,618

 / yr
Durham School Services
3.6
Bus DriverSee 262 salaries from this location

$22

 / hr
First Transit
3.5
Bus DriverSee 163 salaries from this location

$23

 / hr
MV Transportation
3.1
Bus DriverSee 95 salaries from this location

$23

 / hr
Walt Disney Company
3.9
Bus DriverSee 74 salaries from this location

$22

 / hr
Transdev
3.1
Bus DriverSee 59 salaries from this location

$22

 / hr
Greyhound
3.5
Bus DriverSee 42 salaries from this location

$22

 / hr

Is this salary info helpful?

Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere

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DATTCO
3.5
Bus DriverSee 41 salaries from this location

$22

 / hr
Disney Parks
3.8
Bus DriverSee 33 salaries from this location

$21

 / hr
A&S Transportation
3.9
Bus DriverSee 28 salaries from this location

$23

 / hr
Texas A&M University
4.4
Bus DriverSee 26 salaries from this location

$21

 / hr
STA
3.5
Bus DriverSee 25 salaries from this location

$23

 / hr
Coach USA
3.6
Bus DriverSee 24 salaries from this location

$24

 / hr
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
3.6
Bus DriverSee 24 salaries from this location

$25

 / hr
All-Star Transportation
3.5
Bus DriverSee 21 salaries from this location

$23

 / hr
Mid Columbia Bus
2.6
Bus DriverSee 20 salaries from this location

$23

 / hr
TriMet
3.4
Bus DriverSee 18 salaries from this location

$21

 / hr
The University of Massachusetts Amherst
4.3
Bus DriverSee 17 salaries from this location

$22

 / hr
University of Georgia
4.2
Bus DriverSee 16 salaries from this location

$20

 / hr
Academy Bus
3.3
Bus DriverSee 15 salaries from this location

$23

 / hr
Download as data table

Bus Driver Salaries

Job TitleSalary
First Student Bus Driver salaries - 662 salaries reported$45,618/yr
Durham School Services Bus Driver salaries - 262 salaries reported$22/hr
First Transit Bus Driver salaries - 163 salaries reported$23/hr
MV Transportation Bus Driver salaries - 95 salaries reported$23/hr
Walt Disney Company Bus Driver salaries - 74 salaries reported$22/hr
Transdev Bus Driver salaries - 59 salaries reported$22/hr
Greyhound Bus Driver salaries - 42 salaries reported$22/hr
DATTCO Bus Driver salaries - 41 salaries reported$22/hr
Disney Parks Bus Driver salaries - 33 salaries reported$21/hr
A&S Transportation Bus Driver salaries - 28 salaries reported$23/hr
Texas A&M University Bus Driver salaries - 26 salaries reported$21/hr
STA Bus Driver salaries - 25 salaries reported$23/hr
Coach USA Bus Driver salaries - 24 salaries reported$24/hr
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bus Driver salaries - 24 salaries reported$25/hr
All-Star Transportation Bus Driver salaries - 21 salaries reported$23/hr
Mid Columbia Bus Bus Driver salaries - 20 salaries reported$23/hr
TriMet Bus Driver salaries - 18 salaries reported$21/hr
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Bus Driver salaries - 17 salaries reported$22/hr
University of Georgia Bus Driver salaries - 16 salaries reported$20/hr
Academy Bus Bus Driver salaries - 15 salaries reported$23/hr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 1,580

Top Paying Industries

For a Bus Driver in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Bus Driver in United States are Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $49,309, Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $48,166, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation with a median total pay of $45,246, Media & Communication with a median total pay of $45,162, and Information Technology with a median total pay of $45,121.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Government & Public AdministrationGovernment & Public Administration$49,309

    5% Higher than other industries

  • Transportation & LogisticsTransportation & Logistics$48,166

    3% Higher than other industries

  • Arts, Entertainment & RecreationArts, Entertainment & Recreation$45,246

    4% Lower than other industries

  • Media & CommunicationMedia & Communication$45,162

    4% Lower than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$45,121

    4% Lower than other industries

Government & Public Administration

Top paying companies in Government & Public Administration for Bus Driver are Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and VIA Metropolitan Transit.

Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityMetropolitan Transportation Authority$52,990/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Transportation?

Transportation salaries are growing rapidly as the demand for transportation workers grows. The increasing importance of e-commerce and global supply chains are likely to keep the need for transportation workers strong. Also, turnover in the transportation industry is high and an aging workforce is pushing employers to attract new workers to the industry through better pay and benefits.

Bus Driver pay FAQ

The average salary for a Bus Driver is $48,482 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 4171 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Bus Driver employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Bus Driver in United States is $61,593 per year.

The lowest salary for a Bus Driver in United States is $38,251 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Bus Driver or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Bus Driver.

Some bus companies offer drivers an opportunity to earn overtime pay, bonuses, profit sharing, and tips that can total $2,073.56 each year. This is in addition to a base salary that 66% of bus drivers say they are satisfied with.

Salary as a bus driver can heavily depend on where you're located in the bus driver career path. At the start, a bus driver's total pay is often around $30,913.51 each year. With more experience and new certifications, they can reach the average pay of $48,481.52. By the end of their career, a bus driver's pay may be closer to the max of $76,283.25.

The easiest way for many bus drivers to make more money is to simply take on additional routes and shifts to earn overtime pay. If the driver is eligible to receive tips, then offering superior customer service may increase gratuity pay. To receive a higher salary, it may be best for a driver to move to a different type of bus service. For instance, driving a motor coach for wealthy clients or driving long distance interstate routes may prove more lucrative. Larger buses may require licensing and certification, such as CDL Class A/B, Passenger Endorsement, Air Brake Endorsement, and DOT medical accreditations.

To receive a higher salary, you need to prove your worth to your company. Read postings for bus driver jobs to see what other drivers with your experience are making in your area. When asking for a raise, be sure to provide information such as the number of hours spent behind the wheel, your safety record, and any customer feedback. Make sure your resume has been updated to reflect any recent certifications and licenses you've earned. The Glassdoor job interview page may also give you some hints as to what companies look for when hiring a driver.

Additional Resources

Bus Driver Job Description Template

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