Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for bus drivers, transit and intercity is $59,050, or $28.39 per hour. About 159,240 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $84,480 in New York to $37,520 in Arkansas.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $84,480 | $40.61 | 16,770 | 1.69 |
| 2 | Washington | $72,280 | $34.75 | 6,960 | 1.92 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $68,500 | $32.93 | 2,190 | 3.41 |
| 4 | California | $67,130 | $32.27 | 24,380 | 1.31 |
| 5 | Oregon | $65,510 | $31.50 | 2,620 | 1.30 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $65,460 | $31.47 | 3,970 | 1.07 |
| 7 | Maryland | $65,220 | $31.35 | 4,890 | 1.73 |
| 8 | Illinois | $65,200 | $31.35 | 8,650 | 1.38 |
| 9 | Alaska | $64,150 | $30.84 | 250 | 0.75 |
| 10 | Colorado | $63,010 | $30.29 | 3,540 | 1.20 |
| 11 | Ohio | $62,760 | $30.17 | 4,000 | 0.70 |
| 12 | Nevada | $61,700 | $29.66 | 2,540 | 1.60 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $61,140 | $29.40 | 6,420 | 1.46 |
| 14 | Missouri | $60,660 | $29.16 | 1,860 | 0.62 |
| 15 | Delaware | $60,510 | $29.09 | 380 | 0.77 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $60,100 | $28.89 | 1,830 | 1.05 |
| 17 | Indiana | $58,410 | $28.08 | 2,130 | 0.65 |
| 18 | Maine | $57,870 | $27.82 | 470 | 0.71 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $55,580 | $26.72 | 150 | 0.20 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $54,830 | $26.36 | 300 | 0.43 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $54,550 | $26.22 | 2,570 | 1.26 |
| 22 | Arizona | $53,870 | $25.90 | 3,240 | 0.98 |
| 23 | Vermont | $53,830 | $25.88 | 440 | 1.42 |
| 24 | Virginia | $52,940 | $25.45 | 3,800 | 0.90 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $52,660 | $25.32 | 2,220 | 0.74 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $51,360 | $24.69 | 4,710 | 0.76 |
| 27 | Utah | $50,730 | $24.39 | 1,230 | 0.69 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $50,300 | $24.18 | 1,760 | 1.01 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $50,200 | $24.13 | 2,610 | 0.86 |
| 30 | Idaho | $49,000 | $23.56 | 520 | 0.60 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $48,890 | $23.50 | 250 | 0.57 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $48,860 | $23.49 | 1,490 | 0.75 |
| 33 | Texas | $48,740 | $23.43 | 11,600 | 0.81 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $48,610 | $23.37 | 70 | 0.13 |
| 35 | Florida | $48,300 | $23.22 | 9,130 | 0.90 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $47,770 | $22.97 | 1,970 | 0.59 |
| 37 | Michigan | $47,660 | $22.91 | 3,620 | 0.80 |
| 38 | Iowa | $45,890 | $22.06 | 1,560 | 0.98 |
| 39 | Montana | $45,640 | $21.94 | 450 | 0.85 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $45,630 | $21.94 | 130 | 0.44 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $45,610 | $21.93 | 580 | 0.66 |
| 42 | Georgia | $45,500 | $21.87 | 3,700 | 0.74 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $45,120 | $21.69 | 460 | 0.44 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $44,060 | $21.18 | 2,900 | 0.57 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $43,330 | $20.83 | 630 | 0.27 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $41,590 | $19.99 | 410 | 0.88 |
| 47 | Kansas | $41,340 | $19.87 | 430 | 0.29 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $39,260 | $18.87 | 520 | 0.72 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $38,570 | $18.54 | 400 | 0.33 |
| 50 | Alabama | $37,700 | $18.13 | 960 | 0.44 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $37,520 | $18.04 | 570 | 0.43 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do bus drivers, transit and intercity make?
The median annual wage for bus drivers, transit and intercity in the United States is $59,050, or $28.39 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $40,030, and the top 10% earn $84,700.
How many bus drivers, transit and intercity are employed in the U.S.?
About 159,240 people work as bus drivers, transit and intercity nationwide.
Which state pays bus drivers, transit and intercity the most?
New York pays the most at a median of $84,480, followed by Washington ($72,280) and Hawaii ($68,500).
Which state pays bus drivers, transit and intercity the least?
Arkansas has the lowest median at $37,520.
Where are bus drivers, transit and intercity jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Hawaii at 3.41×.