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Job outlook for bus drivers in the United States
Bus driver job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected bus driver job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 32,800 new jobs for bus drivers are projected over the next decade.
Bus driver salaries have increased 18% for bus drivers in the last 5 years.
There are over 175,855 bus drivers currently employed in the United States.
There are 359,229 active bus driver job openings in the US.
The average bus driver salary is $36,879.
Are bus driver jobs in demand?
Yes, bus driver jobs are in demand. Bus driver demand is projected to grow 5% from 2018 to 2028.
Bus driver job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of bus driver jobs and the average bus driver salary over time.
Bus driver jobs over time
Bus driver job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 175,855 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 181,832 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 200,613 | 0.06% |
| 2018 | 558,636 | 0.17% |
| 2017 | 561,970 | 0.17% |
Average bus driver salary over time
Bus driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,879 | $17.73 | +5.3% |
| 2024 | $35,017 | $16.84 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $33,727 | $16.22 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $32,313 | $15.53 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $31,366 | $15.08 | +2.2% |
Bus driver jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of bus driver job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where bus drivers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for bus drivers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 3,070 | 169% |
| 2 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 4,589 | 158% |
| 3 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 4,800 | 153% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 1,379 | 143% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 1,231 | 142% |
| 6 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 16,314 | 140% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 6,128 | 138% |
| 8 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 8,549 | 128% |
| 9 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 2,430 | 127% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 6,159 | 126% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 6,058 | 121% |
| 12 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 7,180 | 117% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 14,489 | 113% |
| 14 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 3,371 | 112% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 4,198 | 107% |
| 16 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 2,967 | 99% |
| 17 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 6,363 | 95% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 11,121 | 87% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 1,821 | 87% |
| 20 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 7,308 | 86% |
Most common cities for bus drivers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paramus | 12 | 45% | $39,193 |
| 2 | Gillette | 9 | 28% | $39,547 |
| 3 | Severn | 7 | 16% | $35,926 |
| 4 | DeKalb | 6 | 14% | $33,946 |
| 5 | Waukesha | 7 | 10% | $38,751 |
| 6 | El Cajon | 7 | 7% | $39,269 |
| 7 | Wilmington | 6 | 5% | $31,910 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City | 8 | 4% | $35,488 |
| 9 | Anaheim | 11 | 3% | $39,358 |
| 10 | Orlando | 9 | 3% | $30,898 |
| 11 | Sacramento | 12 | 2% | $39,904 |
| 12 | San Antonio | 11 | 1% | $35,295 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 10 | 1% | $35,722 |
| 14 | Detroit | 9 | 1% | $35,691 |
| 15 | Austin | 7 | 1% | $35,223 |
| 16 | Denver | 7 | 1% | $36,863 |
| 17 | Raleigh | 6 | 1% | $32,328 |
| 18 | Houston | 8 | 0% | $34,862 |
| 19 | Los Angeles | 7 | 0% | $39,429 |