The average wage for a bus driver in California is around $24.40 per hour.
Avg Wage
Bus drivers earn an average hourly wage of $24.40.
Salaries typically start from $13.78 per hour and go up to $33.37 per hour.
36% below national average Updated in 2018
Bus driver earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$33.37 per hour
$69,420 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$29.30 per hour
$60,940 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$24.40 per hour
$50,760 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level bus driver earnings begin at:
$18.04 per hour
$37,520 per year
10th percentile
Starting level bus driver earnings begin at:
$13.78 per hour
$28,650 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Bus driver salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $67,040 |
| Washington | $58,980 |
| Alaska | $55,590 |
| Massachusetts | $51,680 |
| Oregon | $50,870 |
| California | $50,760 |
| Connecticut | $50,550 |
| New Jersey | $49,670 |
| Illinois | $48,552 |
| Wisconsin | $47,790 |
| Hawaii | $44,050 |
| New Hampshire | $41,870 |
| Vermont | $41,250 |
| Virginia | $40,930 |
| Nebraska | $40,440 |
| Delaware | $39,600 |
| Texas | $39,030 |
| Minnesota | $38,920 |
| Colorado | $38,560 |
| Ohio | $38,380 |
| Maryland | $38,340 |
| Rhode Island | $37,610 |
| Maine | $37,160 |
| Missouri | $37,070 |
| District of Columbia | $37,040 |
| Nevada | $36,370 |
| Montana | $36,300 |
| Wyoming | $36,270 |
| North Dakota | $36,170 |
| Tennessee | $36,020 |
| Utah | $35,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,801 |
| Arizona | $35,739 |
| Louisiana | $35,260 |
| Iowa | $34,380 |
| Kentucky | $33,910 |
| South Carolina | $33,880 |
| West Virginia | $33,720 |
| Michigan | $33,620 |
| Indiana | $33,011 |
| South Dakota | $32,830 |
| Kansas | $31,230 |
| Florida | $30,550 |
| Idaho | $30,280 |
| North Carolina | $29,710 |
| New Mexico | $28,790 |
| Mississippi | $28,680 |
| Arkansas | $28,259 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,990 |
| Georgia | $27,760 |
| Alabama | $27,160 |
| Oklahoma | $26,110 |
| Guam | $19,750 |
How do bus driver salaries compare to similar careers?
Bus drivers earn 9% less than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than avionics technicians but more than sailors.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Avionics technician salary | $72K |
| Shipmate salary | $63K |
| Traffic technician salary | $58K |
| Rail transportation worker salary | $52K |
| Flight attendant salary | $54K |
| Bus driver salary | $51K |
| Truck driver salary | $46K |
| Travel agent salary | $45K |
| Cargo and freight agent salary | $44K |
| Sailor salary | $39K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)