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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

53-3051 Bus Drivers, School

Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.


National estimates for Bus Drivers, School
Industry profile for Bus Drivers, School
Geographic profile for Bus Drivers, School

National estimates for Bus Drivers, School:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Bus Drivers, School:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
361,420 1.2 % $ 18.63 $ 38,750 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for Bus Drivers, School:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 9.55 $ 14.18 $ 18.23 $ 22.84 $ 26.05
Annual Wage (2) $ 19,860 $ 29,490 $ 37,910 $ 47,520 $ 54,190


Industry profile for Bus Drivers, School:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Bus Drivers, School are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Bus Drivers, School, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Bus Drivers, School:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Elementary and Secondary Schools 190,560 2.36 $ 17.36 $ 36,110
School and Employee Bus Transportation 115,680 64.92 $ 20.73 $ 43,110
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 37,530 0.70 $ 19.60 $ 40,770
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 6,250 7.39 $ 17.30 $ 35,980
Child Day Care Services 4,060 0.51 $ 14.79 $ 30,760

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Bus Drivers, School:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
School and Employee Bus Transportation 115,680 64.92 $ 20.73 $ 43,110
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 6,250 7.39 $ 17.30 $ 35,980
Charter Bus Industry 400 2.66 $ 20.45 $ 42,530
Elementary and Secondary Schools 190,560 2.36 $ 17.36 $ 36,110
Urban Transit Systems 640 1.64 $ 19.47 $ 40,500

Top paying industries for Bus Drivers, School:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 60 (7) $ 22.79 $ 47,410
School and Employee Bus Transportation 115,680 64.92 $ 20.73 $ 43,110
Charter Bus Industry 400 2.66 $ 20.45 $ 42,530
Other Schools and Instruction 140 0.04 $ 20.33 $ 42,290
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation 180 1.47 $ 19.81 $ 41,200


Geographic profile for Bus Drivers, School:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Bus Drivers, School are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Bus Drivers, School, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of bus drivers, school by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Bus Drivers, School:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 36,540 4.22 1.64 $ 23.88 $ 49,670
Texas 27,580 2.26 0.88 $ 15.76 $ 32,780
Pennsylvania 22,460 4.02 1.57 $ 19.47 $ 40,490
Georgia 19,050 4.35 1.70 $ 13.81 $ 28,730
Florida 14,520 1.69 0.66 $ 15.85 $ 32,970


Map of location quotient of bus drivers, school by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bus Drivers, School:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 1,440 5.53 2.15 $ 18.69 $ 38,880
West Virginia 3,370 5.12 2.00 $ 14.28 $ 29,700
Connecticut 7,410 4.71 1.84 $ 20.92 $ 43,510
Kansas 6,030 4.50 1.75 $ 18.46 $ 38,390
Georgia 19,050 4.35 1.70 $ 13.81 $ 28,730


Map of annual mean wages of bus drivers, school by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Bus Drivers, School:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 8,350 2.60 1.02 $ 24.12 $ 50,160
New York 36,540 4.22 1.64 $ 23.88 $ 49,670
North Dakota 1,570 3.97 1.55 $ 23.62 $ 49,130
Hawaii 520 0.95 0.37 $ 23.06 $ 47,950
Rhode Island 1,320 2.88 1.12 $ 22.65 $ 47,110



Map of employment of bus drivers, school by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Bus Drivers, School:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 28,110 3.24 1.26 $ 24.80 $ 51,580
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 11,770 4.55 1.77 $ 15.10 $ 31,410
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 8,960 2.12 0.83 $ 21.53 $ 44,790
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 7,930 2.99 1.16 $ 20.64 $ 42,940
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 7,140 2.44 0.95 $ 23.20 $ 48,260
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,100 1.98 0.77 $ 17.00 $ 35,360
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 6,630 2.29 0.89 $ 15.69 $ 32,630
Pittsburgh, PA 5,030 4.82 1.88 $ 20.20 $ 42,020
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,830 2.65 1.03 $ 20.54 $ 42,710
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,820 1.86 0.73 $ 21.55 $ 44,830


Map of location quotient of bus drivers, school by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bus Drivers, School:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Johnstown, PA 540 11.27 4.39 $ 16.78 $ 34,900
Utica-Rome, NY 980 8.51 3.32 $ 19.88 $ 41,360
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1,470 7.48 2.92 $ 18.77 $ 39,040
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 250 6.73 2.62 $ 20.77 $ 43,210
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY 350 6.72 2.62 $ 17.39 $ 36,180
Rome, GA 260 6.62 2.58 $ 11.13 $ 23,150
Glens Falls, NY 310 6.44 2.51 $ 19.37 $ 40,280
Waterbury, CT 410 6.44 2.51 $ 19.83 $ 41,250
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 250 6.22 2.43 $ 15.20 $ 31,610
Rochester, NY 2,870 6.10 2.38 $ 20.96 $ 43,590


Map of annual mean wages of bus drivers, school by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Bus Drivers, School:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 280 2.09 0.81 $ 26.64 $ 55,400
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 90 1.39 0.54 $ 26.51 $ 55,150
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 270 3.12 1.22 $ 25.85 $ 53,770
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,880 2.02 0.79 $ 25.81 $ 53,680
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 160 3.34 1.30 $ 25.19 $ 52,400
Santa Rosa, CA 170 0.86 0.34 $ 24.88 $ 51,750
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,490 0.66 0.26 $ 24.85 $ 51,680
Salinas, CA 110 0.64 0.25 $ 24.83 $ 51,650
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 510 0.48 0.19 $ 24.81 $ 51,600
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 28,110 3.24 1.26 $ 24.80 $ 51,580

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Bus Drivers, School:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,910 5.07 1.98 $ 15.24 $ 31,710
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 1,380 8.98 3.50 $ 17.39 $ 36,160
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,310 5.20 2.03 $ 18.16 $ 37,780
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 1,190 7.12 2.77 $ 18.79 $ 39,080
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 1,190 8.35 3.26 $ 8.92 $ 18,560

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bus Drivers, School:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 640 9.91 3.86 $ 8.62 $ 17,930
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 1,380 8.98 3.50 $ 17.39 $ 36,160
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 820 8.63 3.36 $ 16.81 $ 34,960
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 680 8.55 3.33 $ 19.57 $ 40,710
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 1,190 8.35 3.26 $ 8.92 $ 18,560

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Bus Drivers, School:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 950 4.75 1.85 $ 25.18 $ 52,380
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 510 4.82 1.88 $ 24.48 $ 50,910
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 300 3.17 1.23 $ 23.90 $ 49,710
East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 500 8.19 3.19 $ 23.60 $ 49,080
Central Utah nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 23.53 $ 48,950


About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022