Average salary, compensation, and wages for Bus drivers in the United States


Median hourly earnings of transit and intercity bus drivers were $14.22 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.51 and $18.99 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.37, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $22.51 an hour. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of transit and intercity bus drivers in 2002 were as follows:

Local government $16.95
Interurban and rural bus transportation 15.15
Urban transit systems 15.02
School and employee bus transportation 11.29
Charter bus industry 10.64


Median hourly earnings of schoolbus drivers were $10.77 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $7.73 and $13.53 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $6.24, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $16.44 an hour. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of schoolbus drivers in 2002 were as follows:

School and employee bus transportation $11.44
Local government 11.09
Elementary and secondary schools 10.50
Other transit and ground passenger transportation 9.79
Individual and family services 8.27


The benefits bus drivers receive from their employers vary greatly. Most intercity and local-transit bus drivers receive paid health and life insurance, sick leave, vacation leave, and free bus rides on any of the regular routes of their line or system. Schoolbus drivers receive sick leave, and many are covered by health and life insurance and pension plans. Because they generally do not work when school is not in session, they do not get vacation leave. In a number of States, local-transit and schoolbus drivers employed by local governments are covered by a statewide public employee pension system. Increasingly, school systems extend benefits to drivers who supplement their driving by working in the school system during off hours.
Most intercity and many local-transit bus drivers are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union. Local-transit bus drivers in New York and several other large cities belong to the Transport Workers Union of America. Some drivers belong to the United Transportation Union or the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.




More information on Bus drivers from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Overview of Bus drivers occupation
Number of Bus drivers in the U.S.
Salary and earnings for Bus drivers
Working conditions for Bus drivers
Significant points for Bus drivers
Training requirements for Bus drivers




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