171 metro areas
Transit Bus Driver Salary by City (2026)
Transit bus drivers earn the most in Seattle, WA, an average of $79,810 a year, against $60,280 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Seattle, WA ($71,810 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $60,280BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $79,810Seattle, WA
- Best after cost of living
- $71,810Seattle, WA
- Metro areas
- 171With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for transit bus drivers
Top 10 metro areas
- Seattle, WA$79,810
- San Francisco, CA$76,190
- Boston, MA-NH$73,820
- New York, NY-NJ$73,340
- Portland, OR-WA$71,070
- Chicago, IL-IN$70,760
- Las Vegas, NV$70,100
- Salinas, CA$69,700
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$68,890
- Los Angeles, CA$65,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $79,810 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,190 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $73,820 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $73,340 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $71,070 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $70,760 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $70,100 |
| Salinas, CA | $69,700 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $68,890 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $65,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Seattle, WA$79,810 nominal$71,810
- Watertown, NY$62,500 nominal$71,270
- Las Vegas, NV$70,100 nominal$69,950
- Chicago, IL-IN$70,760 nominal$68,300
- Boston, MA-NH$73,820 nominal$68,180
- Columbus, OH$65,080 nominal$68,170
- Portland, OR-WA$71,070 nominal$67,420
- Rochester, NY$65,350 nominal$67,350
- San Francisco, CA$76,190 nominal$65,900
- Pittsburgh, PA$61,760 nominal$65,240
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $71,810 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $71,270 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $69,950 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $68,300 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $68,180 |
| Columbus, OH | $68,170 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $67,420 |
| Rochester, NY | $67,350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $65,900 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $65,240 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Transit Bus Driver salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $79,810 | $62,570 | $88,300 | $71,810 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $76,190 | $58,450 | $84,930 | $65,900 |
| 3 | Boston, MA-NH | $73,820 | $55,390 | $82,910 | $68,180 |
| 4 | New York, NY-NJ | $73,340 | $58,090 | $80,870 | $65,150 |
| 5 | Portland, OR-WA | $71,070 | $56,160 | $78,420 | $67,420 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL-IN | $70,760 | $55,560 | $78,250 | $68,300 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $70,100 | $43,370 | $83,260 | $69,950 |
| 8 | Salinas, CA | $69,700 | $63,880 | $72,550 | $63,920 |
| 9 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $68,890 | $51,830 | $77,270 | $63,270 |
| 10 | Los Angeles, CA | $65,960 | $50,750 | $73,420 | $58,080 |
| 11 | Rochester, NY | $65,350 | $49,690 | $73,070 | $67,350 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $65,080 | $48,420 | $73,300 | $68,170 |
| 13 | Atlantic City, NJ | $64,400 | $50,110 | $71,430 | $65,140 |
| 14 | Spokane, WA | $64,270 | $56,780 | $67,970 | $64,050 |
| 15 | Bremerton, WA | $63,840 | $57,470 | $66,980 | $60,450 |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD | $63,750 | $47,880 | $71,550 | $61,010 |
| 17 | Santa Cruz, CA | $63,730 | $53,390 | $68,810 | $57,990 |
| 18 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $63,460 | $51,810 | $69,200 | $57,190 |
| 19 | Boulder, CO | $63,040 | $55,310 | $66,850 | $59,920 |
| 20 | Anchorage, AK | $62,800 | $54,750 | $66,770 | $59,570 |
| 21 | Watertown, NY | $62,500 | $47,510 | $69,890 | $71,270 |
| 22 | Denver, CO | $61,800 | $53,120 | $66,080 | $58,420 |
| 23 | Pittsburgh, PA | $61,760 | $43,870 | $70,570 | $65,240 |
| 24 | Hartford, CT | $61,340 | $46,530 | $68,640 | $59,700 |
| 25 | Ann Arbor, MI | $60,760 | $49,000 | $66,560 | $60,230 |
| 26 | Eugene, OR | $60,400 | $50,210 | $65,440 | $59,470 |
| 27 | Portland, ME | $60,280 | $52,710 | $64,000 | $59,180 |
| 28 | Santa Rosa, CA | $59,990 | $50,960 | $64,440 | $55,660 |
| 29 | Colorado Springs, CO | $59,900 | $53,370 | $63,130 | $59,480 |
| 30 | Sacramento, CA | $59,880 | $46,180 | $66,620 | $56,140 |
| 31 | San Diego, CA | $59,780 | $51,730 | $63,730 | $53,430 |
| 32 | Cleveland, OH | $59,630 | $45,780 | $66,440 | $63,490 |
| 33 | Worcester, MA | $59,220 | $49,940 | $63,770 | $57,760 |
| 34 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $59,160 | $47,030 | $65,150 | $59,180 |
| 35 | Phoenix, AZ | $58,910 | $45,180 | $65,690 | $57,020 |
| 36 | Champaign, IL | $58,880 | $43,470 | $66,480 | $63,510 |
| 37 | Burlington, VT | $58,720 | $50,590 | $62,710 | $58,170 |
| 38 | Evansville, IN | $58,640 | $49,440 | $63,170 | $64,070 |
| 39 | Fresno, CA | $58,450 | $47,920 | $63,630 | $57,220 |
| 40 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $58,280 | $51,080 | $61,820 | $62,620 |
| 41 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $58,180 | $50,090 | $62,150 | $53,170 |
| 42 | Riverside, CA | $58,120 | $47,550 | $63,320 | $54,600 |
| 43 | Dayton, OH | $57,760 | $42,490 | $65,270 | $62,310 |
| 44 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $57,700 | $49,480 | $61,730 | $53,130 |
| 45 | Bridgeport, CT | $57,530 | $45,220 | $63,590 | $53,830 |
| 46 | Springfield, MA | $57,470 | $45,550 | $63,340 | $59,830 |
| 47 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $57,260 | $49,710 | $60,960 | $60,220 |
| 48 | Reno, NV | $57,240 | $43,930 | $63,810 | $56,670 |
| 49 | Akron, OH | $57,120 | $39,920 | $65,580 | $61,180 |
| 50 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $57,010 | $45,590 | $62,650 | $62,680 |
| 51 | Kahului, HI | $56,890 | $42,310 | $64,060 | $52,010 |
| 52 | Albany, NY | $56,680 | $50,250 | $59,840 | $56,930 |
| 53 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $56,490 | $44,260 | $62,520 | $61,040 |
| 54 | Indianapolis, IN | $56,160 | $46,650 | $60,820 | $58,690 |
| 55 | Trenton, NJ | $55,970 | $46,160 | $60,800 | $54,250 |
| 56 | Richmond, VA | $55,830 | $46,070 | $60,630 | $57,050 |
| 57 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $55,410 | $42,370 | $61,840 | $54,030 |
| 58 | Lincoln, NE | $55,370 | $46,340 | $59,820 | $60,460 |
| 59 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $55,180 | $45,930 | $59,740 | $52,640 |
| 60 | Nashville, TN | $55,160 | $43,930 | $60,720 | $57,260 |
| 61 | Milwaukee, WI | $55,140 | $44,120 | $60,570 | $56,880 |
| 62 | Miami, FL | $55,100 | $43,260 | $60,940 | $48,270 |
| 63 | Dallas, TX | $54,970 | $42,660 | $61,050 | $53,320 |
| 64 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $54,890 | $44,220 | $60,130 | $57,550 |
| 65 | Eau Claire, WI | $54,890 | $45,340 | $59,610 | $59,150 |
| 66 | Providence, RI-MA | $54,790 | $47,220 | $58,510 | $53,840 |
| 67 | Missoula, MT | $54,450 | $49,480 | $56,890 | $56,460 |
| 68 | Napa, CA | $54,430 | $41,850 | $60,630 | $48,360 |
| 69 | Buffalo, NY | $54,410 | $44,260 | $59,400 | $56,770 |
| 70 | Oklahoma City, OK | $54,390 | $44,320 | $59,360 | $60,160 |
| 71 | Peoria, IL | $54,330 | $41,930 | $60,440 | $59,550 |
| 72 | Orlando, FL | $54,000 | $40,930 | $60,440 | $53,240 |
| 73 | Harrisburg, PA | $53,540 | $39,940 | $60,240 | $54,270 |
| 74 | Boise City, ID | $53,210 | $43,580 | $57,950 | $54,080 |
| 75 | Norwich, CT | $53,160 | $42,290 | $58,530 | $52,920 |
| 76 | Davenport, IA-IL | $53,140 | $41,830 | $58,720 | $59,650 |
| 77 | Flagstaff, AZ | $53,100 | $41,560 | $58,800 | $52,930 |
| 78 | Oxnard, CA | $53,060 | $45,800 | $56,640 | $48,000 |
| 79 | Johnstown, PA | $53,040 | $37,750 | $60,570 | $61,730 |
| 80 | Iowa City, IA | $52,670 | $44,910 | $56,490 | $57,560 |
| 81 | New Orleans, LA | $51,920 | $38,190 | $58,680 | $56,070 |
| 82 | Fargo, ND-MN | $51,790 | $45,990 | $54,640 | $56,990 |
| 83 | Jacksonville, FL | $51,770 | $41,810 | $56,680 | $52,040 |
| 84 | Tulsa, OK | $51,670 | $43,060 | $55,910 | $57,920 |
| 85 | San Antonio, TX | $51,460 | $43,510 | $55,370 | $54,330 |
| 86 | Atlanta, GA | $51,210 | $42,290 | $55,580 | $51,180 |
| 87 | Pittsfield, MA | $51,210 | $46,680 | $53,440 | $53,850 |
| 88 | Ogden, UT | $51,060 | $45,140 | $53,980 | $50,880 |
| 89 | Salt Lake City, UT | $51,040 | $45,430 | $53,810 | $50,600 |
| 90 | Bakersfield, CA | $51,000 | $40,080 | $56,390 | $50,550 |
| 91 | Bozeman, MT | $50,860 | $45,510 | $53,480 | $49,610 |
| 92 | Des Moines, IA | $50,790 | $38,250 | $56,990 | $55,390 |
| 93 | Rockford, IL | $50,540 | $40,060 | $55,700 | $54,840 |
| 94 | Waterbury, CT | $50,480 | $43,240 | $54,040 | $50,590 |
| 95 | Sheboygan, WI | $50,320 | $43,930 | $53,460 | $53,520 |
| 96 | Midland, MI | $50,190 | $41,580 | $54,430 | $54,600 |
| 97 | Scranton, PA | $50,070 | $40,560 | $54,770 | $53,520 |
| 98 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $50,000 | $41,700 | $54,100 | $51,050 |
| 99 | Lexington, KY | $49,980 | $40,330 | $54,750 | $53,810 |
| 100 | Wausau, WI | $49,960 | $44,080 | $52,870 | $53,920 |
| 101 | Raleigh, NC | $49,670 | $41,390 | $53,750 | $50,600 |
| 102 | Syracuse, NY | $49,670 | $35,460 | $56,680 | $51,880 |
| 103 | Houston, TX | $49,650 | $40,460 | $54,180 | $50,340 |
| 104 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $49,590 | $36,900 | $55,830 | $55,740 |
| 105 | Austin, TX | $49,460 | $44,300 | $52,000 | $50,440 |
| 106 | North Port, FL | $49,230 | $42,390 | $52,620 | $48,070 |
| 107 | Fort Collins, CO | $49,030 | $43,120 | $51,920 | $48,480 |
| 108 | Tampa, FL | $49,030 | $37,940 | $54,480 | $48,600 |
| 109 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $48,940 | $41,370 | $52,690 | $53,090 |
| 110 | Youngstown, OH | $48,730 | $34,010 | $55,990 | $55,760 |
| 111 | Omaha, NE-IA | $48,650 | $38,690 | $53,580 | $52,930 |
| 112 | Grand Rapids, MI | $48,550 | $42,450 | $51,560 | $50,810 |
| 113 | York, PA | $48,400 | $39,620 | $52,730 | $50,420 |
| 114 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $48,130 | $38,540 | $52,850 | $55,670 |
| 115 | Durham, NC | $47,920 | $41,720 | $50,980 | $49,110 |
| 116 | Midland, TX | $47,630 | $40,100 | $51,330 | $49,730 |
| 117 | Janesville, WI | $47,550 | $40,580 | $50,980 | $50,750 |
| 118 | Detroit, MI | $46,880 | $38,540 | $51,000 | $46,740 |
| 119 | Topeka, KS | $46,530 | $36,980 | $51,250 | $52,390 |
| 120 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $46,450 | $35,130 | $52,020 | $54,080 |
| 121 | Deltona, FL | $46,400 | $37,860 | $50,610 | $46,700 |
| 122 | Mankato, MN | $46,050 | $41,870 | $48,110 | $50,630 |
| 123 | Charlottesville, VA | $45,990 | $40,350 | $48,760 | $46,390 |
| 124 | Bismarck, ND | $45,930 | $38,460 | $49,590 | $50,460 |
| 125 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $45,930 | $37,670 | $50,000 | $50,220 |
| 126 | Albuquerque, NM | $45,780 | $41,660 | $47,800 | $47,910 |
| 127 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $45,680 | $38,850 | $49,030 | $51,660 |
| 128 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $45,590 | $37,020 | $49,820 | $48,410 |
| 129 | Jefferson City, MO | $45,070 | $37,650 | $48,730 | $51,230 |
| 130 | Santa Fe, NM | $44,970 | $39,420 | $47,690 | $45,530 |
| 131 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $44,840 | $38,270 | $48,090 | $49,480 |
| 132 | Flint, MI | $44,720 | $38,810 | $47,610 | $48,070 |
| 133 | Greensboro, NC | $44,390 | $39,210 | $46,920 | $47,800 |
| 134 | Roanoke, VA | $44,300 | $38,020 | $47,400 | $47,320 |
| 135 | Michigan City, IN | $44,280 | $33,530 | $49,570 | $48,300 |
| 136 | Lakeland, FL | $44,240 | $38,710 | $46,970 | $45,540 |
| 137 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $44,100 | $39,290 | $46,470 | $45,300 |
| 138 | Las Cruces, NM | $43,160 | $36,340 | $46,530 | $47,840 |
| 139 | Wichita, KS | $43,010 | $39,710 | $44,640 | $48,360 |
| 140 | Columbia, SC | $42,870 | $33,550 | $47,440 | $45,770 |
| 141 | Monroe, LA | $42,850 | $33,760 | $47,300 | $51,260 |
| 142 | Columbus, GA-AL | $42,700 | $35,320 | $46,340 | $47,820 |
| 143 | Charleston, SC | $42,660 | $33,900 | $46,970 | $42,250 |
| 144 | Greenville, SC | $42,660 | $34,340 | $46,760 | $45,740 |
| 145 | Bowling Green, KY | $42,490 | $35,190 | $46,090 | $47,120 |
| 146 | Little Rock, AR | $42,430 | $33,550 | $46,820 | $47,480 |
| 147 | Cape Coral, FL | $42,310 | $36,650 | $45,090 | $41,340 |
| 148 | Lawton, OK | $42,200 | $36,250 | $45,140 | $49,100 |
| 149 | Beaumont, TX | $42,040 | $31,720 | $47,110 | $46,690 |
| 150 | Prescott Valley, AZ | $41,950 | $35,690 | $45,030 | $42,700 |
| 151 | Huntsville, AL | $41,750 | $35,400 | $44,870 | $44,860 |
| 152 | McAllen, TX | $41,580 | $33,900 | $45,360 | $48,410 |
| 153 | Corpus Christi, TX | $41,040 | $37,880 | $42,620 | $44,290 |
| 154 | Lake Havasu City, AZ | $40,660 | $38,330 | $41,830 | $43,210 |
| 155 | Fayetteville, AR | $40,440 | $35,880 | $42,660 | $44,270 |
| 156 | Birmingham, AL | $40,410 | $34,300 | $43,410 | $44,090 |
| 157 | Longview, TX | $40,020 | $37,040 | $41,500 | $44,720 |
| 158 | El Paso, TX | $40,000 | $34,650 | $42,640 | $44,490 |
| 159 | Dothan, AL | $39,560 | $34,300 | $42,140 | $47,190 |
| 160 | Abilene, TX | $39,290 | $32,220 | $42,760 | $43,480 |
| 161 | Jackson, MS | $39,250 | $34,340 | $41,680 | $44,080 |
| 162 | Springfield, MO | $39,230 | $31,910 | $42,830 | $44,290 |
| 163 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $39,080 | $36,940 | $40,140 | $44,550 |
| 164 | Killeen, TX | $38,830 | $36,150 | $40,160 | $42,610 |
| 165 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $38,060 | $33,800 | $40,140 | $45,300 |
| 166 | Tyler, TX | $36,980 | $28,750 | $41,060 | $40,130 |
| 167 | Brownsville, TX | $34,260 | $25,630 | $38,500 | $39,850 |
| 168 | Hot Springs, AR | $33,470 | $29,810 | $35,280 | $39,040 |
| 169 | San Juan, PR | $32,950 | $26,690 | $36,030 | N/A |
| 170 | Enid, OK | $30,890 | $22,530 | $35,030 | $36,660 |
| 171 | Ponce, PR | $27,790 | $22,920 | $30,200 | N/A |
More
More on transit bus drivers
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Transit Bus Driver salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays transit bus drivers the most?
Seattle, WA, where the average (mean) wage is $79,810 a year, followed by San Francisco, CA ($76,190), Boston, MA-NH ($73,820), New York, NY-NJ ($73,340). The national mean is $60,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do transit bus drivers earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Seattle, WA ($71,810 at national prices, $79,810 nominal), Watertown, NY ($71,270 at national prices, $62,500 nominal), Las Vegas, NV ($69,950 at national prices, $70,100 nominal).
How much do transit bus drivers make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $73,340; Los Angeles, CA: $65,960; Chicago, IL-IN: $70,760; Dallas, TX: $54,970; Houston, TX: $49,650 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do transit bus drivers earn the least?
Of the 171 metro areas with their own estimate, Ponce, PR has the lowest mean wage, $27,790.